Scientific Explanation

Project summary

My research has centred on the question of what it takes to provide a scientific explanation.

Part of this research has been directed at understanding the role that non-empirical criteria of theory selection - such as explanatory power and simplicity - play in the sciences, as well as the connections between different non-empirical criteria of theory choice.

At first glance, it is very surprising to find that considerations of explanatory power or simplicity, that seem so closely bound to features of us as human cognitive agents, should be good guides to the way that the world is. Nonetheless, there are several arguments for the epistemic value of simplicity where its importance is far greater than mere pragmatic convenience for ease of calculation.

My research on Newton’s method in the Principia leads me to think that this provides a particularly good example of how to combine explanatory power with simplicity. However, in order to develop a general framework this case has to be extended to contemporary science.