
Explanatory reasoning is ubiquitous. Not only are rigorous inferences to the best explanation used pervasively in the sciences, this kind of reasoning is common in everyday life. Despite its widespread use, inference to the best explanation is still in need of precise formulation, and it remains controversial. On the one hand, supporters of explanationism take inference to the best explanation to be a justifying form of inference; some even take all justification to be a matter of explanatory reasoning. On the other hand, critics object that inference to the best explanation is not a fundamental form of inference, and some argue that we should be skeptical of inference to the best explanation in general. This volume brings together twenty philosophers to explore various aspects of inference to the best explanation and the debates surrounding it. These specially commissioned essays constitute the cutting edge of research on the role explanatory considerations play in epistemology and philosophy of science.
This volume investigates the foundational validity, scope, and limitations of Inference to the Best Explanation (IBE) as a mechanism for justification in both scientific and everyday contexts. Editors Kevin McCain and Ted Poston curate a collection of twenty original essays from contemporary philosophers who examine whether explanatory reasoning serves as a fundamental epistemic tool or if it remains a flawed heuristic prone to skepticism. The contributors analyze the tension between explanationism—the view that explanatory considerations provide justification—and the critical arguments that challenge the reliability of IBE as a primary inferential method.
What You Will Find
Scope Limits
Experts and scholars in the field recognize this collection as a significant contribution to contemporary debates on explanatory reasoning. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which is intended for advanced students and professional philosophers interested in rigorous epistemological inquiry.
Page Count:
288
Publication Date:
2017-01-01
Publisher:
OUP Oxford
ISBN-10:
0191063908
ISBN-13:
9780191063909
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