Evaluating Explanations in Law, Science, and Everyday Life

Abstract

��This article reviews a theory of explanatory coherence that provides a psychologically plausible account of how people evaluate competing explanations. The theory is implemented in a computational model that uses simple artificial neural networks to simulate many important cases of scientific and legal reasoning. Current research directions include extensions to emotional thinking and implementation in more biologically realistic neural networks.

Links

PhilArchive



    Upload a copy of this work     Papers currently archived: 91,386

External links

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

Through your library

  • Only published works are available at libraries.

Similar books and articles

Models of scientific explanation.Paul Thagard & Abninder Litt - 2008 - In Ron Sun (ed.), The Cambridge Handbook of Computational Psychology. Cambridge University Press. pp. 549--564.
Out of their minds: Legal theory in neural networks. [REVIEW]Dan Hunter - 1999 - Artificial Intelligence and Law 7 (2-3):129-151.
Explanatory coherence (plus commentary).Paul Thagard - 1989 - Behavioral and Brain Sciences 12 (3):435-467.
Homogeneity and explanatory depth.John Meixner - 1979 - Philosophy of Science 46 (3):366-381.
The Objects of Acceptance: Competing Scientific Explanations.Ronald C. Hopson - 1972 - PSA: Proceedings of the Biennial Meeting of the Philosophy of Science Association 1972:349 - 363.
Situational logic and covering law explanations in history.Michael Martin - 1968 - Inquiry: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Philosophy 11 (1-4):388 – 399.
The Nature of Dynamical Explanation.Carlos Zednik - 2011 - Philosophy of Science 78 (2):238-263.
Basic Everyday Life and Civilized Human Life.Alexander V. Maslikhin - 2008 - Proceedings of the Xxii World Congress of Philosophy 20:149-156.

Analytics

Added to PP
2010-12-22

Downloads
48 (#323,919)

6 months
1 (#1,510,037)

Historical graph of downloads
How can I increase my downloads?

Author's Profile

Paul Thagard
University of Waterloo