more on this theme     |     more from this text

Single Idea 14367

[filed under theme 14. Science / D. Explanation / 2. Types of Explanation / g. Causal explanations ]

Full Idea

On Woodward's manipulationist view, an explanation would take the form of a causal graph.

Gist of Idea

An explanation is a causal graph

Source

report of James Woodward (Making Things Happen [2003]) by Michael Strevens - No Understanding without Explanation 1

A Reaction

The idea is that causation is all to do with how nature responds when you try to manipulate it. I'm certainly in favour of tying explanation closely to causation.

The 1 idea from James Woodward

14367 An explanation is a causal graph [Woodward,J, by Strevens]