Inexactness and explanation

Philosophy of Science 33 (4):345-359 (1966)
  Copy   BIBTEX

Abstract

The paper discusses the problems raised by the inexactness of experiential concepts for a deductivist account of theoretical explanation. The process of theoretical explanation is explicated in terms of the devising of exact forms of inexact concepts. Analysis of the adjustments of concepts and their exact forms to each other reveals an implicit criterion of adequacy for theories which is related to the principle of connectivity

Links

PhilArchive



    Upload a copy of this work     Papers currently archived: 92,261

External links

Setup an account with your affiliations in order to access resources via your University's proxy server

Through your library

Similar books and articles

Vagueness, inexactness, and imprecision.R. G. Swinburne - 1969 - British Journal for the Philosophy of Science 19 (4):281-299.
On the Ramification of Inexactness.La Verne Shelton - 1983 - Philosophy Research Archives 9:347-367.
The Limits of Explanation.Richard Swinburne - 1990 - Philosophy 27 (Supplement):177 - 193.
The shadows and shallows of explanation.Robert A. Wilson & Frank Keil - 1998 - Minds and Machines 8 (1):137-159.
Depth: An Account of Scientific Explanation.Michael Strevens - 2008 - Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press.
On the eliminative explanation of social theories.Raimo Tuomela - 1983 - Studia Logica 42 (2-3):331 - 345.
Imprecision and explanation.D. H. Mellor - 1967 - Philosophy of Science 34 (1):1-9.

Analytics

Added to PP
2009-01-28

Downloads
24 (#660,486)

6 months
10 (#276,350)

Historical graph of downloads
How can I increase my downloads?

Author's Profile

Hugh Mellor
Last affiliation: Cambridge University

Citations of this work

Towards a Typology of Experimental Errors: an Epistemological View.Giora Hon - 1989 - Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part A 20 (4):469.
Imprecision and explanation.D. H. Mellor - 1967 - Philosophy of Science 34 (1):1-9.
The explication of a theory.Michael Martin - 1973 - Philosophia 3 (2-3):179-199.
Vagueness, inexactness, and imprecision.R. G. Swinburne - 1969 - British Journal for the Philosophy of Science 19 (4):281-299.

Add more citations

References found in this work

The meaning of 'meaning'.Hilary Putnam - 1975 - Minnesota Studies in the Philosophy of Science 7:131-193.
The semantic conception of truth and the foundations of semantics.Alfred Tarski - 1943 - Philosophy and Phenomenological Research 4 (3):341-376.
Truth by Convention.W. V. Quine - 1936 - In Philosophical Essays for Alfred North Whitehead. London: Longmans, Green & Co.. pp. 90–124.
In defense of a dogma.H. P. Grice & P. F. Strawson - 1956 - Philosophical Review 65 (2):141-158.
In defense of a dogma.H. Paul Grice & P. F. Strawson - 2010 - In Darragh Byrne & Max Kölbel (eds.), Arguing about language. New York: Routledge. pp. 141 - 158.

View all 9 references / Add more references