Weatherall, James Owen (2010) On (Some) Explanations in Physics. [Preprint]

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Abstract

I offer one possible explanation of why inertial and gravitational mass are equal in Newtonian gravitation. I then argue that the explanation given is an example of a kind of explanation that is not captured by standard philosophical accounts of scientific explanation. Moreover, this form of explanation is particularly important, at least in physics, because demands for this kind of explanation are used to motivate and shape research into the next generation of physical theories.

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Item Type:	Preprint
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID Weatherall, James Owen weatherj@uci.edu
Keywords:	explanation, intertheoretic reduction
Subjects:	Specific Sciences > Physics > Classical Physics General Issues > Explanation Specific Sciences > Physics > Relativity Theory
Depositing User:	James Owen Weatherall
Date Deposited:	10 Nov 2010 12:38
Last Modified:	11 Jun 2011 00:03
Item ID:	8388
Subjects:	Specific Sciences > Physics > Classical Physics General Issues > Explanation Specific Sciences > Physics > Relativity Theory
Date:	9 November 2010
URI:	https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/8388

Available Versions of this Item

• On (Some) Explanations in Physics. (deposited 10 Nov 2010 12:38) [Currently Displayed]
  • On (Some) Explanations in Physics. (deposited 11 Jun 2011 00:03)

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