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Single Idea 17061

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

Full Idea

I want to characterise explanation of some fact as a matter of fitting belief in this fact into a system of beliefs.

Gist of Idea

Explanation of a fact is fitting it into a system of beliefs

Source

J.J.C. Smart (Explanation - Opening Address [1990], p.02)

Book Ref

'Explanation and Its Limits', ed/tr. Knowles,Dudley [CUP 1990], p.2

A Reaction

Sounds good to me. Simple facts slot straight into daily beliefs, and deep obscure facts are explained when we hook them up to things we have already grasped. Quark theory fits into prior physics of forces, properties etc.

The 18 ideas from J.J.C. Smart

17061 Explanation of a fact is fitting it into a system of beliefs [Smart]
17062 If scientific explanation is causal, that rules out mathematical explanation [Smart]
17063 Unlike Newton, Einstein's general theory explains the perihelion of Mercury [Smart]
17070 Coherence is consilience, simplicity, analogy, and fitting into a web of belief [Smart]
17072 We need comprehensiveness, as well as self-coherence [Smart]
17071 An explanation is better if it also explains phenomena from a different field [Smart]
17073 I simply reject evidence, if it is totally contrary to my web of belief [Smart]
17074 Explanations are bad by fitting badly with a web of beliefs, or fitting well into a bad web [Smart]
17075 Scientific explanation tends to reduce things to the unfamiliar (not the familiar) [Smart]
17076 Deducing from laws is one possible way to achieve a coherent explanation [Smart]
17077 The height of a flagpole could be fixed by its angle of shadow, but that would be very unusual [Smart]
17078 Universe expansion explains the red shift, but not vice versa [Smart]
22405 Negative utilitarianism implies that the world should be destroyed, to avoid future misery [Smart]
22404 Any group interested in ethics must surely have a sentiment of generalised benevolence [Smart]
14611 Metaphysics should avoid talk of past, present or future [Smart]
14614 The past, present, future and tenses of A-theory are too weird, and should be analysed indexically [Smart]
14613 Special relativity won't determine a preferred frame, but we can pick one externally [Smart]
14615 If time flows, then 'how fast does it flow?' is a tricky question [Smart]