{"product_id":"scientific-explanation-and-the-causal-structure-of-the-world","title":"Scientific Explanation and the Causal Structure of the World","description":"The philosophical theory of scientific explanation proposed here involves a radically new treatment of causality that accords with the pervasively statistical character of contemporary science. Wesley C. Salmon describes three fundamental conceptions of scientific explanation--the epistemic, modal, and ontic. He argues that the prevailing view (a version of the epistemic conception) is untenable and that the modal conception is scientifically out-dated. Significantly revising aspects of his earlier work, he defends a causal\/mechanical theory that is a version of the ontic conception. Professor Salmon's theory furnishes a robust argument for scientific realism akin to the argument that convinced twentieth-century physical scientists of the existence of atoms and molecules. To do justice to such notions as irreducibly statistical laws and statistical explanation, he offers a novel account of physical randomness. The transition from the \"reviewed view\" of scientific explanation (that explanations are arguments) to the causal\/mechanical model requires fundamental rethinking of basic explanatory concepts.","brand":"Princeton University Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54241755201880,"sku":"9780691101705","price":38.99,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0278\/1295\/4195\/files\/9780691101705_22cb3e21-b7e5-4ae2-b0bb-1826d1fc57ff.jpg?v=1780112760","url":"https:\/\/agendabookshop.com\/products\/scientific-explanation-and-the-causal-structure-of-the-world","provider":"Agenda Bookshop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}