Single Idea 17091

[catalogued under 14. Science / D. Explanation / 2. Types of Explanation / e. Lawlike explanations]

Full Idea

For Mill, explanation was always the fitting of facts into ever more general patterns of regularity.

Gist of Idea

Explanation is fitting of facts into ever more general patterns of regularity

Source

report of John Stuart Mill (System of Logic [1843]) by David-Hillel Ruben - Explaining Explanation Ch 6

Book Reference

Ruben,David-Hillel: 'Explaining Explanation' [Routledge 1990], p.201


A Reaction

This seems to nicely capture the standard empirical approach to explanation. If you say that this fitting in doesn't explain much, the answer (I think) is that this is the best we can do.