What is it about?
The aim of all sciences is to produce understanding. Both interpretation and explanation help scientists to acquire understanding of their object of study. The book discusses different theories of understanding and proposes a naturalistic notion according to which understanding arises in connection with the organization of beliefs. This view is then used to constrain a possible theory of interpretation and explanation by developing a pragmatic theory in comparison with alternative philosophical theories.
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Why is it important?
If one wants to understand science as a cognitive process, it is important to know how science makes it way to new discoveries and understandings.
Perspectives
A pragmatic-rhetorical theory of explanation as it is developed in this book take into account that mathematical derivations and nomological accounts are not the only forms of explanation in science. Other theories usually focus on only one aspect of scientific explanation, whereas the pragmatic-rhetorical theory allows for many types of explanations.
Prof, Jan Faye
Department of Media, Cognition and Communication, University of Copenhagen
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: The Nature of Scientific Thinking, January 2014, Nature,
DOI: 10.1057/9781137389831.
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