Wesley Salmon's Complementarity Thesis: Causalism and Unificationism Reconciled?

Author: de Regt, Henk

Source: International Studies in the Philosophy of Science, Volume 20, Number 2, July 2006 , pp. 129-147(19)

Publisher: Routledge, part of the Taylor & Francis Group

Abstract:

In his later years, Wesley Salmon believed that the two dominant models of scientific explanation (his own causal‐mechanical model and the unificationist model) were reconcilable. Salmon envisaged a `new consensus' about explanation: he suggested that the two models represent two `complementary' types of explanation, which may `peacefully coexist' because they illuminate different aspects of scientific understanding. This paper traces the development of Salmon's ideas and presents a critical analysis of his complementarity thesis. Salmon's thesis is rejected on the basis of two objections, and an alternative view of the relation between different types of explanation is proposed.

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02698590600814308

Publication date: 2006-07-01

More about this publication?

• Editorial Board
• Information for Authors
• Subscribe to this Title
• ingentaconnect is not responsible for the content or availability of external websites

Related content

• In this: publication
• By this: publisher
• In this Subject: Philosophy
• By this author: de Regt, Henk

Website © Publishing Technology. Article copyright remains with the publisher, society or author(s) as specified within the article.

• Terms and conditions
• Privacy policy
• Information for advertisers