ABSTRACT

This book provides a comprehensive overview of the nature of explanations as given in both natural and social sciences. It discusses models of explanation adopted in natural and social sciences. The author also elaborates upon naturalistic and anti-naturalistic views and other types of explanations such as functional, purposive, etc in social science. The volume elaborates upon themes like bridge principle; functional explanation; purposive explanation; teleological explanation; prediction; methodological individualism; methodological collectivism; illocutionary redescription; principle of action; and dispositional explanations to understand whether the explanations given in the realm of social sciences are the same or different from the explanations that are given in the field of natural sciences.

This introductory book is a must read for students and scholars of philosophy of science, logic, science and technology studies, social sciences and philosophy in general.

chapter |4 pages

Introduction

chapter 1|20 pages

Nature of Explanation

chapter 2|21 pages

Explanation in Natural Sciences

chapter 3|18 pages

Explanation in Social Sciences

The Two Approaches

chapter 4|20 pages

Explanation in Social Sciences

The Various Forms

chapter 5|10 pages

Explanation and Prediction

chapter 6|19 pages

Assessment and Conclusion