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(2002) Synthese 131 (1).

Unification and explanation

Erik Weber, Maarten Van Dyck

pp. 145-154

In this article we criticize two recent articles that examinethe relation between explanation and unification. Halonen and Hintikka (1999), on the one hand,claim that no unification is explanation. Schurz (1999), on the other hand, claims that all explanationis unification. We give counterexamples to both claims. We propose a pluralistic approach to the problem:explanation sometimes consists in unification, but in other cases different kinds of explanation(e.g., causal explanation) are required; and none of these kinds is more fundamental.

Publication details

DOI: 10.1023/A:1015005529380

Full citation:

Weber, E. , Van Dyck, M. (2002). Unification and explanation. Synthese 131 (1), pp. 145-154.

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