The structure of scientific theories, explanation, and unification : a causal-structural account
- Author
- Bert Leuridan (UGent)
- Organization
- Abstract
- What are scientific theories and how should they be represented? In this article, I propose a causal-structural account, according to which scientific theories are to be represented as sets of interrelated causal and credal nets. In contrast with other accounts of scientific theories (such as Sneedian structuralism, Kitcher's unificationist view, and Darden's theory of theoretical components), this leaves room for causality to play a substantial role. As a result, an interesting account of explanation is provided, which sheds light on explanatory unification within a causalist framework. The theory of classical genetics is used as a case study.
- Keywords
- NETWORKS, MODELS, DIMENSIONS, MARKOV CONDITION, CETERIS-PARIBUS, BIOLOGICAL EXPLANATION, GENETIC THEORIES, MECHANISMS, LAWS
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Citation
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication: http://hdl.handle.net/1854/LU-8161902
- MLA
- Leuridan, Bert. “The Structure of Scientific Theories, Explanation, and Unification : A Causal-Structural Account.” BRITISH JOURNAL FOR THE PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE, vol. 65, no. 4, 2014, pp. 717–71, doi:10.1093/bjps/axt015.
- APA
- Leuridan, B. (2014). The structure of scientific theories, explanation, and unification : a causal-structural account. BRITISH JOURNAL FOR THE PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE, 65(4), 717–771. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjps/axt015
- Chicago author-date
- Leuridan, Bert. 2014. “The Structure of Scientific Theories, Explanation, and Unification : A Causal-Structural Account.” BRITISH JOURNAL FOR THE PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE 65 (4): 717–71. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjps/axt015.
- Chicago author-date (all authors)
- Leuridan, Bert. 2014. “The Structure of Scientific Theories, Explanation, and Unification : A Causal-Structural Account.” BRITISH JOURNAL FOR THE PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE 65 (4): 717–771. doi:10.1093/bjps/axt015.
- Vancouver
- 1.Leuridan B. The structure of scientific theories, explanation, and unification : a causal-structural account. BRITISH JOURNAL FOR THE PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE. 2014;65(4):717–71.
- IEEE
- [1]B. Leuridan, “The structure of scientific theories, explanation, and unification : a causal-structural account,” BRITISH JOURNAL FOR THE PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE, vol. 65, no. 4, pp. 717–771, 2014.
@article{8161902,
abstract = {{What are scientific theories and how should they be represented? In this article, I propose a causal-structural account, according to which scientific theories are to be represented as sets of interrelated causal and credal nets. In contrast with other accounts of scientific theories (such as Sneedian structuralism, Kitcher's unificationist view, and Darden's theory of theoretical components), this leaves room for causality to play a substantial role. As a result, an interesting account of explanation is provided, which sheds light on explanatory unification within a causalist framework. The theory of classical genetics is used as a case study.}},
author = {{Leuridan, Bert}},
issn = {{0007-0882}},
journal = {{BRITISH JOURNAL FOR THE PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE}},
keywords = {{NETWORKS,MODELS,DIMENSIONS,MARKOV CONDITION,CETERIS-PARIBUS,BIOLOGICAL EXPLANATION,GENETIC THEORIES,MECHANISMS,LAWS}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{4}},
pages = {{717--771}},
title = {{The structure of scientific theories, explanation, and unification : a causal-structural account}},
url = {{http://doi.org/10.1093/bjps/axt015}},
volume = {{65}},
year = {{2014}},
}
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