Display options
Cite
Bechtel W. Can mechanistic explanation be reconciled with scale-free constitution and dynamics?. Stud Hist Philos Biol Biomed Sci. 2015;53:84-93doi: 10.1016/j.shpsc.2015.03.006.
Bechtel, W. (2015). Can mechanistic explanation be reconciled with scale-free constitution and dynamics?. Studies in history and philosophy of biological and biomedical sciences, 5384-93. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.shpsc.2015.03.006
Bechtel, William. "Can mechanistic explanation be reconciled with scale-free constitution and dynamics?." Studies in history and philosophy of biological and biomedical sciences vol. 53 (2015): 84-93. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.shpsc.2015.03.006
Bechtel W. Can mechanistic explanation be reconciled with scale-free constitution and dynamics?. Stud Hist Philos Biol Biomed Sci. 2015 Oct;53:84-93. doi: 10.1016/j.shpsc.2015.03.006. Epub 2015 May 11. PMID: 25977254.
Copy Download .nbib Format: NLM
Share it on

Stud Hist Philos Biol Biomed Sci. 2015 Oct;53:84-93. doi: 10.1016/j.shpsc.2015.03.006. Epub 2015 May 11.

Can mechanistic explanation be reconciled with scale-free constitution and dynamics?.

Studies in history and philosophy of biological and biomedical sciences

William Bechtel

Affiliations

  1. Department of Philosophy, Center for Circadian Biology, and Interdisciplinary Program in Cognitive Science, University of California, San Diego, United States. Electronic address: [email protected].

PMID: 25977254 DOI: 10.1016/j.shpsc.2015.03.006

Abstract

This paper considers two objections to explanations that appeal to mechanisms to explain biological phenomena. Marom argues that the time-scale on which many phenomena occur is scale-free. There is also reason to suspect that the network of interacting entities is scale-free. The result is that mechanisms do not have well-delineated boundaries in nature. I argue that bounded mechanisms should be viewed as entities scientists posit in advancing scientific hypotheses. In positing such entities, scientists idealize. Such idealizations can be highly productive in developing and improving scientific explanations even if the hypothesized mechanisms never precisely correspond to bounded entities in nature. Mechanistic explanations can be reconciled with scale-free constitution and dynamics even if mechanisms as bounded entities don't exist.

Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Keywords: Idealization and abstraction; Mechanistic explanation; Scale-free dynamics; Scale-free small world networks

MeSH terms

Publication Types