Modes of Explanation

Peter Achinstein, Johns Hopkins University, USATimothy Allen, University of Wisconsin-Madison, USAJan Faye, University of Copenhagen, DenmarkAlicia Juarrero, Prince George's Community College, USAKevin Kelly, Carnegie Mellon University, USAZachary Kopplin, Rice University, USALee McIntyre, Boston University, USASandra Mitchell, University of Pittsburgh, USARukmini Bhaya Nair, Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, IndiaNancy Nersessian, Georgia Institute of Technology, USAStanley Salthe, City University of New York, USABeckett Sterner, University of Michigan, USAPaul Thagard, University of Waterloo, CanadaSteven Wallis, Capella University, USAJonathan Waskan, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USAWilliam Wimsatt, University of Chicago, USAKonstantin Genin, Carnegie Mellon University, USAIan Harmon, Rice University, USAAndrew Higgins, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USAGregori Kanatzidis, University of Wisconsin-Madison, USANathan Miller, University of Wisconsin-Madison, USASamantha Paulsen, Rice University, USAJoseph Spino, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA Edmond Ramly, University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA

• PART I: CONTEXT 1. Introduction; Michael Lissack, Abraham Graber 2. A Place in History; Alicia Juarrero 3. The Context of Our Query; Michael Lissack PART II: CASE STUDY 4. Case Study: Creationism; Zack Kopplin PART III: EXAMINING THE CASE 5. Scientific Realism on Historical Science and Creationism; Abraham Graber 6. A Pragmatic Constructivist Take on the Case; Michael Lissack PART IV: DIALOGUE 7. Robustness and Explanation; William Wimsatt 8. A Mode of 'Epi-Thinking' Leads to the Exploration of Vagueness and Finality; Stanley Salthe 9. Occam's Razor, the Complexity of Truth, and the Simplicity Puzzle; Kevin Kelly, Konstantin Genin 10. Getting a Grip; Nancy Nersessian 11. Modes of Explanation; Sandra Mitchell 12. Narrative as a Mode of Explanation; Rukmini Nair 13. Economic Explanations; Paul Thagard 14. Narratives and Models in Complex Systems; Timothy Allen, Edmond Ramly, Samantha Paulsen, Gregori Kanatzidis, Nathan Miller 15. Evaluating Explanations through their Conceptual Structures; Steven Wallis 16. Investigating the Lay and Scientific Norms for Using "Explanation"; Jonathan Waskan, Ian Harmon, Andrew Higgins, Joseph Spino PART V: CONCLUSION 17. Conclusion; Michael Lissack, Abraham Graber PART VI: AFTERWORD Afterword 1. The Scientific Attitude Toward Explanation; Lee McIntyre Afterword 2. Explanation Revisited; Jan Faye Afterword 3. Is The World Completely Intelligible?; Peter Achinstein Afterword 4. Explanation and Pluralism; Beckett Sterner Reprise; Michael Lissack