Description
Understanding How Science Explains the World
All people desire to know. We want to not only know what has happened, but also why it happened, how it happened, whether it will happen again, whether it can be made to happen or not happen, and so on. In short, what we want are explanations. Asking and answering explanatory questions lies at the very heart of scientific practice.
Comprehensive Guide to Scientific Explanation
This book explores the nature and contours of scientific explanation, examining how such explanations are evaluated, as well as how they lead to knowledge and understanding. The primary aim is to help readers understand how science explains the world through rigorous yet accessible analysis.
Accessible Philosophy of Science
Designed for readers with little or no prior philosophical training, this textbook tackles common misconceptions and misunderstandings about scientific practice. Kevin McCain presents complex concepts in clear language, making philosophy of science approachable for undergraduate students, general readers, and anyone interested in how scientific knowledge is constructed.
Key Features
The book provides a thorough introduction to scientific explanation while addressing fundamental questions about scientific reasoning and methodology. Readers learn to evaluate explanatory claims, understand the relationship between explanation and knowledge, and grasp how scientific understanding develops through systematic inquiry.
Ideal for Academic Settings
Published by Cambridge University Press in October 2022, this hardcover textbook serves as an essential resource for higher education courses in philosophy of science, epistemology, and research methods. The systematic approach makes it suitable for classroom adoption while remaining engaging for independent study.
About This Edition
This hardcover edition combines academic rigor with readability, making it an excellent choice for professors teaching philosophy of science, students building their academic libraries, or scientists interested in the philosophical foundations of their work. The book's focus on explanation as central to scientific practice provides readers with tools to think critically about how science generates reliable knowledge about the world.