Explanatory mechanisms : The contribution of critical realism and systems thinking / cybernetics

In recent years the philosophy of science has been moving from the traditional deductivenomological, covering law model of explanation towards one centred on the key concept of explanatory mechanisms. The purpose of this pape r is to contribute to our understanding of mechanistic explanation by bringing in theoretica l deas from two traditions which have had the idea of mechanisms at their core for ma ny years. These are th e philosophy of science known as critical realism and th e discipline of systems thinki ng/cybernetics. After briefly outlining their respective literatures, this pa per will cover issues such as: ontic versus epistemological explanations; generative causality; non-physical m echanisms including social and cognitive structures ; functionalist explan ation; localisation; and absences and omissions as causes.

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