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Discussion: Salmon on Explanatory Relevance
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One of the motivations for Salmon's (1984) causal theory of explanation was the explanatory irrelevance exhibited by many arguments conforming to Hempel's covering-law models of explanation. However, the nexus of causal processes and interactions characterized by Salmon is not rich enough to supply the necessary conception of explanatory relevance. Salmon's (1994) revised theory, which is briefly criticized on independent grounds, fares no better. There is some possibility that the two-tiered structure of explanation described by Salmon (1984) may be pressed into service, but more work would have to be done. Ironically, Salmon's difficulties are similar to those suffered by his seventeenth-century predecessors.
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Cites
Studies in the Logic of Explanation
Hempel, C. G., & Oppenheim, P. (1948) · Philosophy of Science · doi:10.1086/286983 · Cited by 3,174
Philosophical Papers Volume II
Lewis, D. (1987) · doi:10.1093/0195036468.001.0001 · Cited by 362
Cited by
Making Things Happen: A Theory of Causal Explanation
Woodward, J. (2004) · doi:10.1093/0195155270.001.0001 · Cited by 1,302
Role Functions, Mechanisms, and Hierarchy
Craver, C. F. (2001) · Philosophy of Science · doi:10.1086/392866 · Cited by 517
Salmon, W. C. (1998) · doi:10.1093/0195108647.001.0001 · Cited by 499
A Unifying Framework for Causal Analysis in Set-Theoretic Multimethod Research
Rohlfing, I., & Schneider, C. Q. (2018) · Sociological Methods & Research · doi:10.1177/0049124115626170 · Cited by 98
Singular and general causal relations: A mechanist perspective
Glennan, S. (2011) · Causality in the Sciences · doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199574131.003.0037 · Cited by 54
Metadata
- Authors
- Hitchcock, C. R.
- Venue
- Philosophy of Science
- Publisher
- Cambridge University Press (CUP)
- Published
- 1995-06
- Volume
- 62
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 304-320
- ISSN
- 0031-8248 (ISSN-L)
- 1539-767X
- OpenAlex
- W2028084164
- Cited by
- 168
- References
- 2
- FWCI
- 96.58
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
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