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Single Idea 14913

[filed under theme 14. Science / D. Explanation / 2. Types of Explanation / c. Explanations by coherence ]

Full Idea

Theoretical explanation is the derivation of the properties of a relatively concrete and observable phenomenon by means of an embedding into some larger, relatively abstract and unobservable theoretical structure.

Gist of Idea

We explain by deriving the properties of a phenomenon by embedding it in a large abstract theory

Source

J Ladyman / D Ross (Every Thing Must Go [2007], 2.1.1)

Book Ref

Ladyman,J/Ross,D: 'Every Thing Must Go' [OUP 2007], p.71

A Reaction

[they are citing Michael Friedman 1981 p.1] This sounds like covering law explanation, but the theoretical structure will be a set of intersecting laws, rather than a single law. How do you explain the theoretical structure?

The 14 ideas with the same theme [explanation by showing how it fits into other beliefs]:

17061 Explanation of a fact is fitting it into a system of beliefs [Smart]
17074 Explanations are bad by fitting badly with a web of beliefs, or fitting well into a bad web [Smart]
17076 Deducing from laws is one possible way to achieve a coherent explanation [Smart]
13597 Good explanations unify [Ellis]
16184 An explanation is a model that fits a theory and predicts the phenomenological laws [Cartwright,N]
16811 An explanation unifies a phenomenon with our account of other phenomena [Lipton]
13071 We can go beyond mere causal explanations if we believe in an 'order of being' [Cover/O'Leary-Hawthorne]
17064 1: Coherence is a symmetrical relation between two propositions [Thagard, by Smart]
17065 2: An explanation must wholly cohere internally, and with the new fact [Thagard, by Smart]
17066 3: If an analogous pair explain another analogous pair, then they all cohere [Thagard, by Smart]
17067 4: For coherence, observation reports have a degree of intrinsic acceptability [Thagard, by Smart]
17068 5: Contradictory propositions incohere [Thagard, by Smart]
17069 6: A proposition's acceptability depends on its coherence with a system [Thagard, by Smart]
14913 We explain by deriving the properties of a phenomenon by embedding it in a large abstract theory [Ladyman/Ross]