back to ideas for this text


Single Idea 15005

[from 'Writing the Book of the World' by Theodore Sider, in 14. Science / D. Explanation / 1. Explanation / a. Explanation ]

Full Idea

Explanations must cite generalisations.

Gist of Idea

Explanations must cite generalisations

Source

Theodore Sider (Writing the Book of the World [2011], 07.13)

Book Reference

Sider,Theodore: 'Writing the Book of the World' [OUP 2011], p.139


A Reaction

I'm uneasy about this. Presumably some events have a unique explanation - a unique mechanism, perhaps. Language is inescapably general in its nature - which I take to be Aristotle's reason for agreeing the Sider. [Sider adds mechanisms on p.159]