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The Problem of Micro-Explanation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 February 2022

T.R. Girill
T.R. Girill*
Affiliation:
Lawrence University
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Extract

A scientific explanation is prima facie micro-reductive if the explanans refers to the behavior or properties of the micro-parts of something mentioned in the explanandum. Entity x is appropriately regarded as a micro-part of y whenever the following individually necessary and jointly sufficient conditions are satisfied:

  1. (i) x is spatio-temporally contained in y

  2. (ii) for any other part of y, either

    1. a) x is spatio-temporally discrete from it, or

    2. b) x and it are assigned to different “levels”, such that parts from only one level are used in any given micro-explanation,

  3. (iii) x and y. share at least one quantitative, additive property such that

    1. a) the amount of this property attributed to x is less than the amount attributed to y, and

    2. b) the former amount arithmetically contributes to the latter.

Type
Part II. Explanation
Information
PSA: Proceedings of the Biennial Meeting of the Philosophy of Science Association , Volume 1976 , Issue 1: Volume One: Contributed Papers 1976 , 1976 , pp. 47 - 55
Copyright
Copyright © 1976 by the Philosophy of Science Association

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