more from Peter Lipton

Single Idea 16813

[catalogued under 14. Science / D. Explanation / 2. Types of Explanation / g. Causal explanations]

Full Idea

According to the causal model of explanation, to explain a phenomenon is simply to give information about its causal history, or, where the phenomenon is itself a causal regularity, to give information about the mechanism linking cause and effect.

Gist of Idea

To explain is to give either the causal history, or the causal mechanism

Source

Peter Lipton (Inference to the Best Explanation (2nd) [2004], 03 'Fact')

Book Reference

Lipton,Peter: 'Inference to the Best Explanation (2nd ed)' [Routledge 2004], p.30


A Reaction

[He cites Lewis's 1986 paper] Simply citing causal regularity seems to me to explain nothing. It happened because it always happens. Mechanism, on the other hand, is just what we are after.