Questions tagged [explanation]
The explanation tag has no usage guidance.
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Can the ultimate explanation of everything really be God even if He exists?
I was pondering about the explanatory power of God and was wondering about whether, even if God exists, He is doing any fundamental explanatory work.
Suppose that the universe is caused by God. If He ...
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Is there any context in which a divine, personal explanation is more likely than a natural one? [closed]
Suppose we somehow knew that the universe, along with all its matter and energy at t = 0, started. Suppose we also knew that it had an explanation or cause
Now, does this automatically imply that the ...
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Does the possibility of incommensurable degrees of explanatory complexity hypothetically undermine appeals to Occam's razor?
There is an SEP article on the proposed incommensurability of at least some conflicting pairs of scientific theories, which goes over Kuhnian and Feyerabendian proposals regarding this ...
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Can an extraordinary hypothesis ever be the best explanation for a set of historical facts?
As a motivating example, I have in mind the minimal facts argument for the resurrection of Jesus, espoused by Christian apologists such as Gary Habermas, Michael Licona, and William Lane Craig. The ...
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Can Free Will be Explained?
Explanations are causal, at least to the extent that I'm aware. If I explain X then I basically identify and expand on the cause of X (if X involves an ontological claim the explanans is all about ...
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What determines a need for explanation?
This is a question that has been bugging me that came up on a debate about the Kalam cosmological argument between Graham Oppy and Andrew Loke, both philosophers as far as I am aware: https://www....
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Would "to avoid the class/set distinction" be, or not be, an ad hoc reason to propose a couniversal set?
Once upon a time, von Neumann proposed the axiom of limitation-of-size, which says that any class "too large to be a set" is then a "proper class," meaning that there is a ...
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Hypothesis generation & the structure of scientific theories: how (exactly) do theories constrain hypothesis generation?
How (exactly) do theories constrain the generation of various, potential hypotheses to explain something? In particular, what are the different implications of different accounts of the structure of ...
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How to explain the cosmic expansion? [closed]
We know from astrophysics that the cosmos expands, i.e. that all galaxies recede from each other. This fact is confirmed by observation. It can also be obtained as a solution of the Einstein equations....
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Books and articles on explanation
What are some resources (books, articles) discussing the topic of "explanation"? (What do we mean when we say "something is explained" or vice versa, and related topics.)
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Is predictive power a criterion for pragmatism?
Is predictive power a criterion for pragmatism?
In inference to the best explanation, one of the criteria is prognostic power.
Does this criterion refer to pragmatism?
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Explaining the existence vs. explaining the nonexistence of necessary beings
I understand that I am waiving issues like the absolute/relative simplicity/complexity distinction, the difference between the logic of existence and the logic of nonexistence per se, etc., so I ...
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Is there a concept in philosophy that deals with how MUCH a theory explains?
Suppose I win the lottery and I pray to God before it. I now tell others that God helped me. Others, skeptics, respond that it makes no sense as to why God only helped me but not others. I now ...
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What is an explanation really?
Let's consider a hypothetical 'Church of the Moon' on a distant planet with a huge moon. The members of this church base all their beliefs about the moon and their religious practices on their holy ...
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What does the IBE argument (the best explanation argument) look like in favor of the existence of other minds?
I have read several versions of the IBE argument for the existence of other minds.
But I got a little confused.
Now I'm not sure I know what it should sound like.
How should the IBE argument (argument ...
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How does the IBE arrive at the best explanation?
What is meant by the behavior of other people in argument?
Here it is said that the simplicity of the explanation is decisive in choosing the best explanation.
Solipsism has fewer entities(only my ...
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How to understand "type-which-corresponds-to"?
In the comment on How do we define this?, user g s wrote a deleted comment indicating that things could be defined using "type-which-corresponds-to" (exact quote from memory). They followed ...
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If I use arguments to justify my belief in the existence of other minds, do I have to abandon the theory of mind?
If I use IBE arguments (the best explanation argument) or phenomenal conservatism to justify my belief in the existence of other minds, do I have to ignore theory of mind? That is, I should abandon ...
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Help to understand the use of arguments
If the arguments have the same conclusions, but the premises in one argument contradict the premises in another argument, then these arguments cannot be used together. I am right?
For example I have ...
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Can I use multiple justifications for believing in the existence of other minds?
Can I use multiple justifications for believing in the existence of other minds?
There are several good justifications for our belief in the existence of other minds.
Theory of mind, which is part of ...
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Why does a non uniform distribution often seem to “beg for an explanation”?
Take for example the proposed fine tuning of the universe. Because there are certain constants proposed to be fine tuned for life, some postulate the existence of a multiverse with constants ranging ...
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Phenomenal Conservatism vs common sense epistemology
Phenomenal Conservatism said: "If it seems to S that P, then, in the absence of defeaters, S thereby has at least some justification for believing that P."
The phrase: "at least some ...
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Could deities/multiverses be the empty/trivial solutions to, "How and why does our universe exist in the way it does?"
Note: I am loosely following Nicholas Rescher (Axiogenesis) here, by qualifying "the existence of this world" as "the existence of this specific world," where, "Why is there ...
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How important is explanatory power when it comes to assessing the likelihood of a hypothesis?
Suppose I predict that John will get into a fight tomorrow and he does. Almost noone will think I can read the future. It seems to be "within" the bounds of chance.
Suppose I instead ...
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Explanandum and Explanans in Greek Philosophy
From Wikipedia: 'An explanandum is a sentence describing a phenomenon that is to be explained, and the explanans are the sentences adduced as explanations of that phenomenon. For example, one person ...
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Explain how the Phenomenal Conservatism and Common Sense Privilege arguments works to justify belief in other minds
Please explain how the Phenomenal Conservatism and Common Sense Privilege argument works to justify belief in other minds.
Here it is written that it is used to justify belief in other minds, but I ...
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What is a question?
Sponsored by Socrates:
Alcibiades 113, b
SOCRATES: Come then, give me the general principle. When there’s a
question and an answer, who is the one saying things--the questioner
or the answerer? ...
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Does prediction really have epistemic value?
I am having trouble understanding why the act of predicting something gives it any sort of value or makes a theory more likely to be true. If a scientific theory explained everything in hindsight, ...
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How do philosophers support their faith in other minds? [duplicate]
How do you support your belief that other people have minds like yours?
Do you use any arguments to explain the reasons for your belief?
I believe that other people have minds and mental states like ...
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Please clarify this answer about the argument
I did not understand how this argument should sound.
https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/other-minds/#BestExpl
The article reads as follows: On this way of thinking, mental states are taken to be inner ...
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How do ordinary people and scientists maintain their belief that other people also have minds? [duplicate]
How do ordinary people and scientists maintain their belief that other people also have minds?
Which do ordinary people and scientists use arguments for their belief that other people also have minds?
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Explain what is meant in the article
https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/other-minds/#BestExpl
"But he also makes the following, important, observation: “A complete response to the problem of other minds seems obliged to incorporate ...
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What is the status of the argument by analogy now?
Now what about the argument by analogy in favor of the existence of other minds.
https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/other-minds/#ArguAnal
It is written in the article that he was heavily criticized ...
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What arguments can I use to justify my belief in other minds? [duplicate]
What arguments can I use to justify my belief in other minds?
https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/other-minds/
Here are all the arguments in favor of the existence of other minds, but I do not ...
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What's the solution to the problem of other minds? [duplicate]
https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/other-minds/
I have never understood what the solution to the problem of other minds is.
At first, the article said that:
"One standard line of reply to this ...
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Is it plausible to believe in the existence of other minds if all arguments have been criticized?
I believe that other people also have minds.
To believe in other minds, arguments are needed.
All arguments in favor of the existence of other minds are subject to strong criticism.
So it turns out ...
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What is the solution to the problem of other minds? [duplicate]
Can you explain which solution to the problem of other minds is the best.
As I understand it, the best explanation argument is the best solution to the problem of other minds.
It is written here: ...
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What argument in favor of other minds is relevant now? [duplicate]
As far as I understand the best explanation argument is the best argument for the existence of other minds, but I don't understand what is meant here: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/other-minds/#...
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What kind of explanation is this?
Hi i've been reading about causality and explanations in "The System of Logic, Ratiocinative and Inductive" J.S. Mills says that to explain something is to provide causes in one way or ...
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Does science have any separate arguments for the existence of other minds?
For example, there is an argument of the best explanation in favor of the existence of other minds.
https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/other-minds/#BestExpl
Is this argument used in science or is this ...
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What is the future of the argument of the best explanation for the existence of other minds? [closed]
I read it here: What is meant by the behavior of other people in argument?
"It has the obvious drawback that the real explanation might not have been considered yet"
As far as I understand ...
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What is meant by the behavior of other people in argument?
What is meant by the behavior of other people in the best explanation argument?
What is included in the behavior of other people?
https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/other-minds/#BestExpl
How does the ...
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Hard stuff made easy?
There is a philosophical assumption, inspired by educational didactics, which consists of thinking that any concept, no matter how intricate, can be presented in simple words and easily understood if ...
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Why does this explanation seem wrong?
I am thinking about the differences between explanation and argumentation, and i have come across this example which i just can't seem to understand.
Conversation A (Request for explanation):
Speaker:...
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Future tense explanations?
Is it possible to explain in the future tense? For example, "there will be smoke" because "there will be fire"?
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Is it ever appropriate to say a phenomenon is unexplainable?
Scientific research involves the investigation of difficult problems, and constantly tries to explain the unknown through observations and logical reasoning.
Take a situation like finding a cure for ...
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How is it possible to explain a logical language through a natural one?
Suppose we are to learn a subject like mathematics, then for it's precision and rigor, the topics discussed are described in terms of theories of logic. Suppose a student wishes to learn mathematics, ...
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How likely is the simplest explanation of something the correct one?
When assuming how something is the way it is, you choose the simplest explanation. But what is the chance of this actually being the explanation? For example, say a cucumber randomly appeared on the ...
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Why can't numbers be 'used up'?
I was speaking with a young student who has been learning about addition and subtraction (essentially functions, but he doesn't know that yet) with the idea of a 'number machine' and he could not ...
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Is the use of feminist stories sufficient evidence to claim misogyny keeps women out of STEM fields? [closed]
Recently, I asked if multiple anecdotes are logically unsound in this thread:
Are multiple anecdotes still logically unsound?
The answer was anecdotes can be used correctly depending on the context.
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