Understanding How Science Explains the World

Kevin McCain is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. His academic research interests lie in epistemology and philosophy of science, focusing on the role of explanatory reasoning in the production of scientific knowledge. He is the author/editor of numerous articles and books, including Uncertainty: How It Makes Science Advance (Oxford University Press, 2019), What Is Scientific Knowledge (Routledge, 2019) and The Nature of Scientific Knowledge (Springer, 2016).

• 1. Why Explanation Matters in Science; 2. The General Nature of Explanation; 3. Specific Kinds of Explanations; 4. Explanation and Prediction; 5. Evaluating Explanations; 6. Explanatory Quality and Felt Understanding; 7. False Theories, But Accurate Explanations?; 8. From Explanation to Knowledge.

'This engaging book effectively introduces a wide range of philosophical ideas about scientific explanation in an accessible way. It's attentive to nuances but avoids getting bogged down in details and debates.' Angela Potochnik, Professor of Philosophy and Director of the Center for Public Engagement with Science, University of Cincinnati