Vernazzani, Alfredo (2026) Animating Scientific Understanding. [Preprint]

Text FE8FC45C-0C4C-11F1-B0C3-D1C31634D9A3 (1).pdf Download (520kB)

Abstract

The mainstream account of scientific understanding is explanationism. According to explanationism, scientific understanding is only achieved when a subject grasps a full or partial explanation of the target phenomenon. Objectualists disagree and argue that there are instances of scientific understanding that outstrip explanatory understanding. In this paper, I advance a novel form of objectualism that I call epistemic pluralism or PLURALISM for short. On this view, the satisfaction of any scientific epistemic concern, explanatory or not, constitutes a partial ground for understanding a
phenomenon scientifically. I put pressure on explanationism by arguing that, in contrast with PLURALISM, it faces a dilemma when it comes to account for the epistemic achievements of nonexplanatory scientific research.

---

Export/Citation:

EndNote | BibTeX | Dublin Core | ASCII/Text Citation (Chicago) | HTML Citation | OpenURL

Social Networking:

Share |

---

Item Type:	Preprint
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID Vernazzani, Alfredo
Keywords:	Scientific Understanding; Explanationism; Objectualism; Epistemology of Science
Subjects:	Specific Sciences > Anthropology Specific Sciences > Biology Specific Sciences > Cognitive Science General Issues > Explanation General Issues > Models and Idealization Specific Sciences > Psychology
Depositing User:	Dr. Alfredo Vernazzani
Date Deposited:	02 Mar 2026 13:34
Last Modified:	02 Mar 2026 13:34
Item ID:	28411
Subjects:	Specific Sciences > Anthropology Specific Sciences > Biology Specific Sciences > Cognitive Science General Issues > Explanation General Issues > Models and Idealization Specific Sciences > Psychology
Date:	2026
URI:	https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/28411

Monthly Views for the past 3 years

Monthly Downloads for the past 3 years

Plum Analytics

Actions (login required)

View Item