Unification and explanation
Synthese 131 (1):145 - 154 (2002)
Abstract
In this article we criticize two recent articles that examinethe relation between explanation and unification. Halonen and Hintikka (1999), on the one hand,claim that no unification is explanation. Schurz (1999), on the other hand, claims that all explanationis unification. We give counterexamples to both claims. We propose a pluralistic approach to the problem:explanation sometimes consists in unification, but in other cases different kinds of explanation(e.g., causal explanation) are required; and none of these kinds is more fundamental.Author's Profile
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2004
DOI
10.1023/a:1015005529380
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Citations of this work
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Explanatory unification and natural selection explanations.Stefan Petkov, Wei Wang & Yi Lei - 2016 - Biology and Philosophy 31 (5):705-725.
References found in this work
Explanatory unification and the causal structure of the world.Philip Kitcher - 1989 - In Philip Kitcher & Wesley Salmon (eds.), Scientific Explanation. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press. pp. 410-505.
Unification: What is it, how do we reach and why do we want it?Erik Weber - 1999 - Synthese 118 (3):479-499.