Synopsis
How do we go about weighing evidence, testing hypotheses, and making inferences? According to this work, we infer the hypothesis that would, if correct, provide the best explanation of the available evidence. Articulating the model of inference to the best explanation requires an account of what makes one explanation better than another. The author of this treatise distinguishes between the explanation best supported by the evidence - the most likely explanation - and the explanation that would, if true, provide the most understanding. He argues that an illuminating version of inference to the best explanation must rely on the latter notion, and provides an account of what makes one explanation better than another by analyzing the structure of contrastive explanations.
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About the Author
Peter Lipton is Hans Rausing Professor of History and Philosophy of Science at the University of Cambridge.
Review
'The first edition of Peter Lipton's Inference to the Best Explanation, which appeared in 1991, is a modern classic in the philosophy of science. Yet in the second edition of the book, Lipton proves that even a classic can be improved ... a 'must' read for anyone who wants a deeper understanding of inductive inference, broadly understood.' – Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews
'Peter Lipton's excellent book approaches the descriptive task with imagination and style. Lipton argues persuasively that an understanding of the workings of contrastive explanation can yield insight into our inferential practices.' – Times Literary Supplement
'Lipton makes valuable contributions with respect to any number of important questions in epistemology and philosophy of science. Anyone with more than a passing interest in these fields will find his book indispensable.' – The Philosophical Review
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