Causality and Unification: How Causality Unifies Statistical Regularities
Two key ideas of scientific explanation - explanations as causal information and explanation as unification - have frequently been set into mutual opposition. This paper proposes a "dialectical solution" to this conflict, by arguing that causal explanations are preferable to non-causal ex...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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University of the Basque Country
2015-03-01
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| Series: | Theoria |
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| Online Access: | http://www.ehu.eus/ojs/index.php/THEORIA/article/view/11913 |
| _version_ | 1818246361691193344 |
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| author | Gerhard Schurz |
| author_facet | Gerhard Schurz |
| author_sort | Gerhard Schurz |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Two key ideas of scientific explanation - explanations as causal information and explanation as unification - have frequently been set into mutual opposition. This paper proposes a "dialectical solution" to this conflict, by arguing that causal explanations are preferable to non-causal explanations because they lead to a higher degree of unification at the level of the explanation of statistical regularities. The core axioms of the theory of causal nets (TC) are justified because they give the best if not the only unifying explanation of two statistical phenomena: screening off and linking up. Alternative explanation attempts are discussed and it is shown why they don't work. It is demonstrated that not the core of TC but extended versions of TC have empirical content, by means of which they can generate independently testable predictions. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-12T14:47:36Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7bc089a7f8e1424298f14dad121badef |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0495-4548 2171-679X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-12T14:47:36Z |
| publishDate | 2015-03-01 |
| publisher | University of the Basque Country |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Theoria |
| spelling | doaj.art-7bc089a7f8e1424298f14dad121badef2022-12-22T00:21:05ZengUniversity of the Basque CountryTheoria0495-45482171-679X2015-03-01301739510.1387/theoria.1191311007Causality and Unification: How Causality Unifies Statistical RegularitiesGerhard Schurz0University of Duesseldorf Department of PhilosophyTwo key ideas of scientific explanation - explanations as causal information and explanation as unification - have frequently been set into mutual opposition. This paper proposes a "dialectical solution" to this conflict, by arguing that causal explanations are preferable to non-causal explanations because they lead to a higher degree of unification at the level of the explanation of statistical regularities. The core axioms of the theory of causal nets (TC) are justified because they give the best if not the only unifying explanation of two statistical phenomena: screening off and linking up. Alternative explanation attempts are discussed and it is shown why they don't work. It is demonstrated that not the core of TC but extended versions of TC have empirical content, by means of which they can generate independently testable predictions.http://www.ehu.eus/ojs/index.php/THEORIA/article/view/11913Unification, explanation, causality, theory of causal nets, screening off, linking up |
| spellingShingle | Gerhard Schurz Causality and Unification: How Causality Unifies Statistical Regularities Theoria Unification, explanation, causality, theory of causal nets, screening off, linking up |
| title | Causality and Unification: How Causality Unifies Statistical Regularities |
| title_full | Causality and Unification: How Causality Unifies Statistical Regularities |
| title_fullStr | Causality and Unification: How Causality Unifies Statistical Regularities |
| title_full_unstemmed | Causality and Unification: How Causality Unifies Statistical Regularities |
| title_short | Causality and Unification: How Causality Unifies Statistical Regularities |
| title_sort | causality and unification how causality unifies statistical regularities |
| topic | Unification, explanation, causality, theory of causal nets, screening off, linking up |
| url | http://www.ehu.eus/ojs/index.php/THEORIA/article/view/11913 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT gerhardschurz causalityandunificationhowcausalityunifiesstatisticalregularities |