Competing explanations : exclusion and importance in historical accounts
This thesis is a philosophical examination of the nature of explanatory competition between historical accounts. It is usual for a philosophy of explanation to attempt an analysis of explanation, singular. The focus of this work is on relations between two or more explanations. In particular, I investigate explanatory exclusion and explanatory importance. The methodology of the thesis is built upon a conception of descriptive philosophy. I believe that when attempting to philosophise about a practice such as history, we should pay detailed attention to existing good practice. To this end, I develop my conclusions in conjunction with an examination of eight differing explanations of the French Revolution. Explanatory exclusion should be analysed in terms of incompatibility between explanations. Explananda, explanans, or relevance claims may be incompatible. Exclusion of the last type requires a commitment to explanatory realism, which holds that explanatory relationships mirror appropriate ontic - paradigmatically, causal - relationships. There are different types of historical explanation, yet all make reference to the causal history of the French Revolution, and therefore are candidates for explanatory exclusion.
Day, Mark Andrew
Philosophy
Competing explanations : exclusion and importance in historical accounts. This thesis is a philosophical examination of the nature of explanatory competition between historical accounts. It is usual for a philosophy of explanation to attempt an analysis of explanation, singular. The focus of this work is on relations between two or more explanations. In particular, I investigate explanatory exclusion and explanatory importance. The methodology of the thesis is built upon a conception of descriptive philosophy. I believe that when attempting to philosophise about a practice such as history, we should pay detailed attention to existing good practice. To this end, I develop my conclusions in conjunction with an examination of eight differing explanations of the French Revolution. Explanatory exclusion should be analysed in terms of incompatibility between explanations. Explananda, explanans, or relevance claims may be incompatible. Exclusion of the last type requires a commitment to explanatory realism, which holds that explanatory relationships mirror appropriate ontic - paradigmatically, causal - relationships. There are different types of historical explanation, yet all make reference to the causal history of the French Revolution, and therefore are candidates for explanatory exclusion.
explanation exclusion importance historical_account philosophical examination nature explanatory competition historical_account usual philosophy explanation attempt analysis explanation singular focus work relation explanation particular investigate explanatory exclusion explanatory importance build_upon conception descriptive philosophy believe attempt philosophise practice history pay detail attention exist good practice end develop conclusion conjunction examination differ explanation french_revolution explanatory exclusion analyse term incompatibility explanation relevance claim may incompatible exclusion last type require commitment explanatory realism hold explanatory relationship mirror appropriate paradigmatically causal_relationship different_type historical_explanation yet make reference causal history french_revolution therefore candidate explanatory exclusion