The Epistemic and Ontic Conceptions of Scientific Explanation

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dc.contributor.authorTaylor, Kaetlin Dianeen
dc.contributor.committeechairPatton, Lydia K.en
dc.contributor.committeememberJantzen, Benjamin C.en
dc.contributor.committeememberTrogdon, Kelly Griffithen
dc.contributor.departmentPhilosophyen
dc.date.accessioned2017-06-10T08:01:24Zen
dc.date.available2017-06-10T08:01:24Zen
dc.date.issued2017-06-09en
dc.description.abstractWhile Wesley Salmon attributes the debate on scientific explanation between Carl Hempel and Peter Railton (or between the epistemic and ontic conceptions of scientific explanation, more generally) as one over which conception of explanation is correct, I claim that Hempel and Railton were responding to two different questions altogether. Hempel was addressing a question akin to 'what is <i>scientific</i> explanation?', while Railton was focused on a question more similar to 'what is scientific <i>explanation</i>?' In this paper I discuss the different questions Hempel and Railton were addressing, and how distinguishing these two questions can aid in the discussion of the requirements and adequacy of models of scientific explanation. While these two questions are clearly inter-related, I claim that we should not judge the adequacy of an answer to one of these questions on the basis of the adequacy of an answer to the other.en
dc.description.degreeMaster of Artsen
dc.format.mediumETDen
dc.identifier.othervt_gsexam:11115en
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10919/78011en
dc.publisherVirginia Techen
dc.rightsIn Copyrighten
dc.rights.urihttp://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/en
dc.subjectPhilosophy of Scienceen
dc.subjectExplanationen
dc.subjectOntic Explanationen
dc.subjectEpistemic Explanationen
dc.titleThe Epistemic and Ontic Conceptions of Scientific Explanationen
dc.typeThesisen
thesis.degree.disciplinePhilosophyen
thesis.degree.grantorVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State Universityen
thesis.degree.levelmastersen
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Artsen

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