Woodward, James (2013) Mechanistic Explanation:Its Scope and Limits. Aristotelian Society Supplementary Volume, 87 (1). pp. 39-65.
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Abstract
This paper, part of an Aristotelian Society (2013) symposium with John Dupre, explores the question of whether all or most explanations in biology are, or ideally should be, ‘mechanistic’. I begin by providing an account of mechanistic explanation, making use of the interventionist ideas about causation I have developed elsewhere. This account emphasizes the way in which mechanistic explanations, at least in the biological sciences, integrate difference-making and spatio-temporal information, and exhibit what I call fine-tunedness of organization. I also emphasize the role played by modularity conditions in mechanistic explanation. I will then argue, in agreement with Dupré, that, given this account, it is plausible that many biological systems require explanations that are relatively non-mechanical or depart from expectations one associates with the behaviour of machines
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| Item Type: | Published Article or Volume | ||||||
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| Keywords: | causation. mechanism, modularity, explanation in biology | ||||||
| Subjects: | Specific Sciences > Biology > Molecular Biology/Genetics General Issues > Causation General Issues > Explanation |
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| Depositing User: | Jim Woodward | ||||||
| Date Deposited: | 26 Aug 2014 21:58 | ||||||
| Last Modified: | 26 Aug 2014 21:58 | ||||||
| Item ID: | 10981 | ||||||
| Journal or Publication Title: | Aristotelian Society Supplementary Volume | ||||||
| DOI or Unique Handle: | 10.1111/j.1467-8349.2013.00219.x | ||||||
| Subjects: | Specific Sciences > Biology > Molecular Biology/Genetics General Issues > Causation General Issues > Explanation |
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| Date: | June 2013 | ||||||
| Page Range: | pp. 39-65 | ||||||
| Volume: | 87 | ||||||
| Number: | 1 | ||||||
| URI: | https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/10981 |
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