Single Idea 16816

[catalogued under 14. Science / D. Explanation / 2. Types of Explanation / b. Contrastive explanations]

Full Idea

In a 'contrastive' explanation what gets explained is not 'Why this?', but 'Why this rather than that?'. There is a fact and a foil, and one fact may have several foils. Why do leaves turn yellow in November rather than in January?

Gist of Idea

In 'contrastive' explanation there is a fact and a foil - why that fact, rather than this foil?

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.33


A Reaction

Lipton really likes this, and builds his story around it. Maybe, but it looks to me like an easier step towards a proper explanation. The foils are infinite. Why turn yellow rather than radioactive, insincere, divisible by three, or expensive?