An 'explanation' is a
statement which points to
causes, , and
consequences of some object,
process,
state of affairs, etc., together with
rules or
laws that link these to the object. Some of these of the explanation may be
implicit.
Explanations can only be given by those with
understanding of the object which is explained.
In
scientific research, explanation is one of three purposes of research (the other two being
exploration and
description). Explanation is the discovery and reporting of relationships among different aspects of studied
phenomena.
Some different types of explanations:
★
Deductive-nomological
★
Functional
★ Historical
★
Psychological
★ Reductive
★
Teleological
★
Methodological
See also
★
Abductive reasoning
★
Cogency
★
Epistemology
★
Explanandum and Explanans
★
Inductive reasoning
★
Inquiry
★
Knowledge
★
Scientific method
★
Unexplained
External links
★
Theories of Explanation at The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy
★
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy entry on Scientific Explanation