lecture 4

Question 1

suppose we knew all events, would science then be completed? and why?

Answer 1

no, we would still lack:
- awareness of connections between events
- knowledge of which events are accidental
- and which are determined
- ability to intervene effectively in the world

Question 2

explanandum =

Answer 2

that which is to be explained

Question 3

explanans =

Answer 3

that which does the explaining

Question 4

what is an explanation?

Answer 4

an answer to a why question. account that gives us understanding of why things are as they are.

Question 5

what is a requirement for an explenation?

Answer 5

truth; for account to have the status of explanation, it must be true. the premises must also be true

Question 6

pseudo-explanation=

Answer 6

if most philosophers don’t agree with each other.

Question 7

who is CArl. G. Hempel?

Answer 7

he placed scientific explanation on the agenda of philosophy of science. he created a model

Question 8

What is Hempel’s model? (2)

Answer 8

Deductive-nomological model (DN)
Inductive-statistical model (IS)

Question 9

what is the deductive nomological model?

Answer 9

• on this model, an explanation is a valid deductive argument.
• it is from true premises.
• it includes at least one law or true generalization and descriptions of some particular facts.
• it also is to the description of the fact that is to be explained

Question 10

what are the two objections about the DN model?

Answer 10

1. we think that a cause explains its effect, but we do not think that an effect explains its cause
2. we think that relevant information explains an outcome and irrelevant information does not provide understanding. yet in some cases the model accepts as a valid explanation an account that cites only irrelevant factors