Explanation, causality, and counterfactuals

Philosophy of Science 52 (3):357-389 (1985)
  Copy   BIBTEX

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to develop an adequate version of the D-N theory of explanation for particular events and to show how the resulting D-N model can be used as a tool in articulating a regularity theory of causation and an analysis of the truth conditions for counterfactual conditionals. Starting with a basic model that is largely the product of other workers in this field, two new restrictions are formulated in order to construct a version of D-N explanation that does not yield the counterintuitive results that have plagued all earlier versions. An additional condition is then developed that is indispensable for utilizing the D-N model as a tool in formulating a regularity theory of causation. Finally, it is shown how a suitable model of potential D-N explanation facilitates the formulation of a theory of counterfactual conditionals

Links

PhilArchive



    Upload a copy of this work     Papers currently archived: 90,616

External links

Setup an account with your affiliations in order to access resources via your University's proxy server

Through your library

Similar books and articles

A dilemma for the counterfactual analysis of causation.S. Barker - 2003 - Australasian Journal of Philosophy 81 (1):62 – 77.
Capacities, explanation and the possibility of disunity.Jakob Hohwy - 2003 - International Studies in the Philosophy of Science 17 (2):179 – 190.
Indeterminism, counterfactuals, and causation.Richard Otte - 1987 - Philosophy of Science 54 (1):45-62.
Depth: An Account of Scientific Explanation.Michael Strevens - 2008 - Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press.
Probabilistic Explanation and Probabilistic Causality.Joseph F. Hanna - 1982 - PSA: Proceedings of the Biennial Meeting of the Philosophy of Science Association 1982:181 - 193.
The logic of the situation.James J. Leach - 1968 - Philosophy of Science 35 (3):258-273.
Causation and conditionals.Ernest Sosa (ed.) - 1975 - New York: Oxford University Press.

Analytics

Added to PP
2009-01-28

Downloads
71 (#209,912)

6 months
3 (#445,838)

Historical graph of downloads
How can I increase my downloads?

Citations of this work

Linking causal and explanatory asymmetry.Daniel M. Hausman - 1993 - Philosophy of Science 60 (3):435-451.
Explanation, subjunctives and statistical theories.Del Ratzsch - 1988 - International Studies in the Philosophy of Science 3 (1):80-96.
What is explained in science?Barbara Tuchańska - 1992 - Philosophy of Science 59 (1):102-119.
The Context of Explanation.Martin Bunzl - 1993 - Springer Verlag.

Add more citations

References found in this work

Actions, Reasons, and Causes.Donald Davidson - 1963 - Journal of Philosophy 60 (23):685.
Counterfactuals.David Lewis - 1973 - Foundations of Language 13 (1):145-151.
Studies in the logic of explanation.Carl Gustav Hempel & Paul Oppenheim - 1948 - Philosophy of Science 15 (2):135-175.
Explanatory unification.Philip Kitcher - 1981 - Philosophy of Science 48 (4):507-531.
Fact, Fiction, and Forecast.Nelson Goodman - 1955 - Philosophy 31 (118):268-269.

View all 15 references / Add more references