Wesley Salmon and Causal-Mechanical Model of scientific explanation

Document Type : Review Paper

Author

Assistant Professor National Research Institute for science policy

Abstract

The Causal Mechanical model of scientific explanation , which was firstly proposed by one of the most famous philosophers of science, Wesley Salmon, is an alternative model presented for Hempel's Deductive Nomothetic Model of scientific Explanation, i.e. D-N Model . Salmon, who initially proposed the statistical model of explanation, in order to respond to a number of Hempel’s counter examples , such as the famous raining and falling barometer , in contrary to Karl Hempel's, and in accord with Aristotelian tradition, proposed a new model of scientific explanation based on causality. In order to describe his approach to scientific explanation, he used a method for distinguishing causal processes from pseudo processes . The method introduced by Salmon is based on the fact that causal processes are capable of transmitting a Mark. But the method is not always able to correctly distinguish causal from pseudo processes. In this article , I firstly describe Salmon's idea and his famous model, then by focusing on his method for detecting causal processes, I examine the advantages and disadvantages of his theory. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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