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On (Some) Explanations in Physics

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
    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 07:38
    Last Modified: 10 Jun 2011 20:03
    Item ID: 8388
    URI: http://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/8388

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