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9781316518175

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'This engaging book effectively introduces a wide range of philosophical ideas about scientific explanation in an accessible way. It's attentive to nuances but avoids getting bogged down in details and debates.' Angela Potochnik, Professor of Philosophy and Director of the Center for Public Engagement with Science, University of Cincinnati 'Kevin McCain's excellent book zooms in on the role of explanation in science and links it with scientific understanding. McCain has the enviable gift to write a gentle introduction for the novice reader that also provides a fresh perspective that is interesting for the specialist. Overall, this book is an accessible and illuminating contribution to the literature on scientific explanation.' Olaf Dammann, Professor of Public Health and Community Medicine, Tufts University 'In this concise and elegant book, McCain provides a superb overview of current thinking about the nature of explanation in science, correcting common misunderstandings and providing a clearly written, entertaining, and insightful guide to the enterprise of understanding the world.' Michael Strevens, Professor of Philosophy, New York University 'Understanding How Science Explains the World is a very impressive achievement. It draws on and develops some of the most important philosophical views on the nature of explanation, while carefully engaging throughout with important examples from the history of science (including quite recent history, which takes into account scientific attempts to explain and understand COVID-19). Highly recommended.' Stephen R. Grimm, Professor of Philosophy, Fordham University

Author Information

Kevin McCain is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. His academic research interests lie in epistemology and philosophy of science, focusing on the role of explanatory reasoning in the production of scientific knowledge. He is the author/editor of numerous articles and books, including Uncertainty: How It Makes Science Advance (Oxford University Press, 2019), What Is Scientific Knowledge (Routledge, 2019) and The Nature of Scientific Knowledge (Springer, 2016).

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