Single Idea 17086

[catalogued under 14. Science / D. Explanation / 1. Explanation / a. Explanation]

Full Idea

It is surprising that no empiricist philosopher before Mill turned in an explicit way to the scrutiny of the concept of explanation, which had …every appearance of being experience-transcendent.

Gist of Idea

Surprisingly, empiricists before Mill ignore explanation, which seems to transcend experience

Source

report of John Stuart Mill (System of Logic [1843]) by David-Hillel Ruben - Explaining Explanation Ch 4

Book Reference

Ruben,David-Hillel: 'Explaining Explanation' [Routledge 1990], p.112


A Reaction

Yes indeed! This is why explanation is absolutely basic, to philosophy and to human understanding. The whole of philosophy is a quest for explanations, so to be strictly empirical about it strikes me as crazy.