Challenges Facing Counterfactual Accounts of Explanation in Mathematics. Issue 1 (21st September 2021)
- Record Type:
- Journal Article
- Title:
- Challenges Facing Counterfactual Accounts of Explanation in Mathematics. Issue 1 (21st September 2021)
- Main Title:
- Challenges Facing Counterfactual Accounts of Explanation in Mathematics
- Authors:
- Lange, Marc
- Abstract:
- ABSTRACT: Some mathematical proofs explain why the theorems they prove hold. This paper identifies several challenges for any counterfactual account of explanation in mathematics (that is, any account according to which an explanatory proof reveals how the explanandum would have been different, had facts in the explanans been different). The paper presumes that countermathematicals can be nontrivial. It argues that nevertheless, a counterfactual account portrays explanatory power as too easy to achieve, does not capture explanatory asymmetry, and fails to specify why certain proofs are explanatory and others are not. Greater informativeness about counterfactual dependence can even yield less explanatory power.
- Is Part Of:
- Philosophia Mathematica. Volume 30:Issue 1(2022)
- Journal:
- Philosophia Mathematica
- Issue:
- Volume 30:Issue 1(2022)
- Issue Display:
- Volume 30, Issue 1 (2022)
- Year:
- 2022
- Volume:
- 30
- Issue:
- 1
- Issue Sort Value:
- 2022-0030-0001-0000
- Page Start:
- 32
- Page End:
- 58
- Publication Date:
- 2021-09-21
- Subjects:
- Mathematics -- Philosophy -- Periodicals
Wiskunde
Filosofische aspecten
Mathematics -- Philosophy
Periodicals
510.105 - Journal URLs:
- http://philmat.oupjournals.org/archive/index.dtl ↗
http://ukcatalogue.oup.com/ ↗
http://intl-philmat.oupjournals.org/ ↗
http://libnet.ac.il/~libnet/pqd/pqd_issn.pl?0031-8019 ↗ - DOI:
- 10.1093/philmat/nkab023 ↗
- Languages:
- English
- ISSNs:
- 0031-8019
- Deposit Type:
- Legaldeposit
- View Content:
- Available online (eLD content is only available in our Reading Rooms) ↗
- Physical Locations:
- British Library DSC - 6461.500000
British Library DSC - BLDSS-3PM
British Library HMNTS - ELD Digital store - Ingest File:
- 20849.xml