Causality and Explanation

Wesley C. Salmon

Causality and Explanation

Wesley C. Salmon

Description

For over two decades Wesley Salmon has helped to shape the course of debate in philosophy of science. He is a major contributor to the philosophical discussion of problems associated with causality and the author of two influential books on scientific explanation. This long-awaited volume collects twenty- six of Salmon's essays, including seven that have never before been published and others difficult to find. Part I comprises five introductory essays that presuppose no formal training in philosophy of science and form a background for subsequent essays. Parts II and III contain Salmon's seminal work on scientific explanation and causality. Part IV offers survey articles that feature advanced material but remain accessible to those outside philosophy of science. Essays in Part V address specific issues in particular scientific disciplines, namely, archaeology and anthropology, astrophysics and cosmology, and physics.
Clear, compelling, and essential, this volume offers a superb introduction to philosophy of science for nonspecialists and belongs on the bookshelf of all who carry out work in this exciting field. Wesley Salmon is renowned for his seminal contributions to the philosophy of science. He has powerfully and permanently shaped discussion of such issues as lawlike and probabilistic explanation and the interrelation of explanatory notions to causal notions. This unique volume brings together twenty-six of his essays on subjects related to causality and explanation, written over the period 1971-1995. Six of the essays have never been published before and many others have only appeared in obscure venues. The volume includes a section of accessible introductory pieces, as well as more advanced and technical pieces, and will make essential work in the philosophy of science readily available to both scholars and students.

Causality and Explanation

Wesley C. Salmon

Introduction
Introductory Essays
1. A New Look at Causality
2. Determinism and Indeterminism in Modern Science
3. Comets, Pollen, and Dreams: Some Reflections on Scientific Explanation
4. Scientific Explanation: Causation and Unification
5. The Importance of Scientific Understanding
Scientific Explanation
6. A Third Dogma of Empiricism
7. Causal and Theoretical Explanation
8. Why Ask "Why?"? An Inquiry Concerning Scientific Explanation
9. Deductivism Visited and Revisited
10. Explanatory Asymmetry
11. Van Frassen On Explanation
Causality
12. An "At-At" Theory of Causal Influence
13. Causal Propensities: Statistical Causality vs Aleatory Causality
14. Probabilistic Causality
15. Intuitions: Good and Not-So-Good
16. Causality without Counterfactuals
17. Indeterminacy, Indeterminism, and Quantum Mechanics
Concise Overviews
18. Causality: Production and Propagation
19. Scientific Explanation: How We Got From There to Here
20. Scientific Explanation: Three Basic Conceptions
Applications to Other Disciplines
21. Alternative Models of Scientific Explanation
22. Causality in Archaeological Explanation
23. Explanation in Archaeology: An Update
24. Formation of Why-Questions
25. Quasars, Causality and Geometry
26. Dreams of a Famous Physicist: An Apology for Philosophy of Science
References
Index

Causality and Explanation

Wesley C. Salmon

Reviews and Awards

Named a 1998 Outstanding Academic Book by Choice

"Invariably stimulating and frequently brilliant, [the essays] develop a powerful realist conception of scientific explanation--in which probabilistic and causal relations play starring roles--as well as a distinctive "process-based" account of causality. Salmon's skillful elaboration of these and other, closely-related themes makes the volume essential reading for philosophers of science interested in explanation, causation, and their interrelationships."--Philosophy of Science

"A rich collection of interesting papers. Since it holds a number of introductory pieces along with advanced essays and review articles, the volume will be accessible to a broad audience and will work well in philosophy of science courses. Useful to all those interested in the topic, from students to professionals, this overdue collection of papers by a major figure in the field will be an essential addition to the collections of all philosophers of science."--Lawrence Sklar, University of Michigan

"...Salmon has been exploring the nature of scientific understanding for his long professional life, and in these wise, beautifully written essays he advances the explanation of scientific explanation yet a little more....A very illuminating work, highly recommended."--Choice