Combining Texts

Ideas for 'Every Thing Must Go', 'Letters to a German Princess' and 'Elimination of Metaphysics by Analysis of Language'

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14. Science / D. Explanation / 2. Types of Explanation / c. Explanations by coherence
14913 We explain by deriving the properties of a phenomenon by embedding it in a large abstract theory [Ladyman/Ross]
     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.
     From: J Ladyman / D Ross (Every Thing Must Go [2007], 2.1.1)
     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?