7. Explanations And Causes

Question 1

Natural law

Answer 1

A scientific law, usually thought to capture fundamental relationships in the natural world

Question 2

Law-like generalization

Answer 2

A generalization based on empirical evidence which appears to capture regularities in a way similar to how a law does

Question 3

Deductive-nomological account of explanation

Answer 3

An account of what an explanation is that is based on deduction from natural laws or law-like generalizations, and initial conditions

Question 4

Explanandum

Answer 4

That which is to be explained

Question 5

Explanan

Answer 5

That which provides the explanation

Question 6

Cause

Answer 6

A change in one object or event which produces a change in another object or in another event

Question 7

Causal account of explanation

Answer 7

An account of explanation where causes are the main component of the explanans
(That which provides the explanation)

Question 8

Singular causal explanation

Answer 8

The explanation of a singular phenomenon or event by stating particular events as causes in the explanans

Question 9

Singular explanandum

Answer 9

A singular event, phenomenon or property that is to be explained

Question 10

General explanandum

Answer 10

A general event, phenomenon or property that is to be explained

Question 11

Singular explanans

Answer 11

The explanation is provided by a number of particular events, phenomena and properties

Question 12

General explanans

Answer 12

The explanation is provided by a regularity or a law

Question 13

Explanatory virtue

Answer 13

A property of an explanation which improves its quality in some respect

Question 14

Accuracy
(Explanations)

Answer 14

The explanans is true in the relevant aspects

Question 15

Precision of the explanandum

Answer 15

The contrast featured in the explanandum is precisely stated

Question 16

Precision of the explanans

Answer 16

The contrast featured in the explanandum is reflected in the explanans

Question 17

Non-sensitivity

Answer 17

The causal chain in the explanans is sufficiently short so that the explanans is not sensitive to small changes in circumstances

Question 18

Cognitive salience

Answer 18

The explanation is easy to understand for a target subject

Question 19

Direct cause

Answer 19

X is a direct cause of Y if and only if there is a possible intervention on X that will change Y, when all the background conditions are held constant

Question 20

Contributing cause

Answer 20

X is a contributing cause of Y with respect to some background variables if there is a causal chain such that each link in the chain is a direct cause between two variables and where the chain begins at X and ends at Y

Question 21

Causal scenario

Answer 21

A description of the possible causal relations in a variable system.
These include
1. A being the cause of B or,
2. B being the cause of A, or,
3. There exists no direct causal relation between A and B, but a third factor C that causes A and B respectively

Question 22

Common cause

Answer 22

Two phenomena are caused by the same phenomenon

Question 23

Instrumental variable analysis

Answer 23

Determining causal relationships from data