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Full Idea
Lewis endorses the thesis that all explanation of singular events is causal explanation.
Gist of Idea
Lewis endorses the thesis that all explanation of singular events is causal explanation
Source
report of David Lewis (Causal Explanation [1986]) by Stathis Psillos - Causation and Explanation p.237
Book Ref
Psillos,Stathis: 'Causation and Explanation' [Acumen 2002], p.237
A Reaction
It is hard to challenge this. The assumption is that only nomological and causal explanations are possible, and the former are unobtainable for singular events.
| 4809 | Lewis endorses the thesis that all explanation of singular events is causal explanation [Lewis, by Psillos] |
| 15551 | Ways of carving causes may be natural, but never 'right' [Lewis] |
| 15552 | We only pick 'the' cause for the purposes of some particular enquiry. [Lewis] |
| 15553 | Causal dependence is counterfactual dependence between events [Lewis] |
| 14321 | To explain an event is to provide some information about its causal history [Lewis] |
| 15554 | A disposition needs a causal basis, a property in a certain causal role. Could the disposition be the property? [Lewis] |
| 15555 | Explaining match lighting in general is like explaining one lighting of a match [Lewis] |
| 15556 | Science may well pursue generalised explanation, rather than laws [Lewis] |
| 15558 | A good explanation is supposed to show that the event had to happen [Lewis] |
| 15559 | Does a good explanation produce understanding? That claim is just empty [Lewis] |
| 15557 | Verisimilitude has proved hard to analyse, and seems to have several components [Lewis] |
| 15560 | We can explain a chance event, but can never show why some other outcome did not occur [Lewis] |