Wilkenfeld, Daniel (2022) Understanding Abstracting Structural Explanations. In: UNSPECIFIED.

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Abstract

In the literature on explanation, philosophers have proposed different conceptions of structural explanations. In this paper, I explore how several seemingly disparate accounts of structural explanation can be tied together with a central notion of abstraction borrowed from the philosophy of mathematics. Some explanations involve abstracting from a subject as an individual to seeing that individual as a node in a network of explanatory relations. I will then tie this account of structural explanation by abstraction to Wilkenfeld’s (2019) account of understanding to show how this class of structural explanations by abstraction is understanding-conducive.

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Item Type:	Conference or Workshop Item (UNSPECIFIED)
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID Wilkenfeld, Daniel dawilk@gmail.com 0000-0003-2600-3237
Keywords:	Abstraction, Explanation, Understanding
Subjects:	General Issues > Explanation
Depositing User:	Dr. Daniel Wilkenfeld
Date Deposited:	26 Jul 2022 19:51
Last Modified:	26 Jul 2022 19:51
Item ID:	20968
Subjects:	General Issues > Explanation
Date:	25 July 2022
URI:	https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/20968

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