Pragmatism and the theory-dependence of explanatory judgments in science.

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dc.contributor.advisorMarcum, James A.
dc.creatorPrasetya, Yunus, 1992-
dc.creator.orcid0000-0003-3902-888X
dc.date.accessioned2020-11-05T15:02:05Z
dc.date.available2020-11-05T15:02:05Z
dc.date.created2020-08
dc.date.issued2020-05-28
dc.date.submittedAugust 2020
dc.date.updated2020-11-05T15:02:05Z
dc.description.abstractMany philosophical accounts of scientific explanation purport to be pragmatic. They claim that what counts as a good scientific explanation depends, in a significant way, on the context in which the purported explanation is offered. I start this project by defending a pragmatic approach to analyzing explanations. Bas van Fraassen’s account of explanation is one of the most developed pragmatic accounts of explanation. So, that is what I discuss next. I argue that it survives most of the objections raised against it. I then argue, from the framework provided by van Fraassen’s account, that the acceptance of a theory sometimes involves the acceptance of a set of criteria for evaluating explanations. This set of criteria is theory-laden, and if an explanatory judgment is made on the basis of this set, it is theory-laden. One implication of my thesis is that inference to the best explanation is not a rationally-compelling rule of inference. I defend this claim in the penultimate chapter.
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdf
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/2104/11088
dc.language.isoen
dc.rights.accessrightsNo access – contact librarywebmaster@baylor.edu
dc.subjectPhilosophy of science. Pragmatism. Explanation.
dc.titlePragmatism and the theory-dependence of explanatory judgments in science.
dc.typeThesis
dc.type.materialtext
local.embargo.lift2025-08-01
local.embargo.terms2025-08-01
thesis.degree.departmentBaylor University. Dept. of Philosophy.
thesis.degree.grantorBaylor University
thesis.degree.levelDoctoral
thesis.degree.namePh.D.

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