These essays draw on work in the history and philosophy of science, the philosophy of mind and language, the development of concepts in children, conceptual change in adults, and reasoning in human and artificial systems.

Explanations seem to be a large and natural part of our cognitive lives. As Frank Keil and Robert Wilson write, "When a cognitive activity is so ubiquitous that it is expressed both in a preschooler's idle questions and in work that is the culmination of decades of scholarly effort, one has to ask whether we really have one and the same phenomenon or merely different cognitively based phenomena that are loosely, or even metaphorically, related."

This book is unusual in its interdisciplinary approach to that ubiquitous activity. The essays address five basic questions about explanation: How do explanatory capacities develop? Are there kinds of explanation? Do explanations correspond to domains of knowledge? Why do we seek explanations, and what do they accomplish? How central are causes to explanation? The essays draw on work in the history and philosophy of science, the philosophy of mind and language, the development of concepts in children, conceptual change in adults, and reasoning in human and artificial systems. They also introduce emerging perspectives on explanation from computer science, linguistics, and anthropology.

Contributors
Woo-kyoung Ahn, William F. Brewer, Patricia W. Cheng, Clark A. Chinn, Andy Clark, Robert Cummins, Clark Glymour, Alison Gopnik, Christine Johnson, Charles W. Kalish, Frank C. Keil, Robert N. McCauley, Gregory L. Murphy, Ala Samarapungavan, Herbert A. Simon, Paul Thagard, Robert A. Wilson

About the Author

Frank C. Keil is Professor of Psychology at Yale University.

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.

Store Description

KC Midwest Books is a small collector and seller of books. We specialize in medical, history, literature, judaic and holocaust studies.

Visit Seller's Storefront

Seller's business information

KCMidwestbooks
KS, U.S.A.

Sale & Shipping Terms

Terms of Sale

KC Midwest Books guarantees 100% customer satisfaction. If, for any reason, you are not satisfied with your
order, we will issue a total refund for the cost of the book(s) (shipping will not be refunded, unless the
return is the result of an error on our part)upon receipt of the book(s) being returned. All books are
available on a first ordered/first served basis. If you have any questions regarding specific books that
were not covered in the descriptions or citations on abebooks.com, please pla...

More Information

Shipping Terms

Shipping Terms
Orders ship 1-2 business days. Shipping costs are based on books weighing 2.2 LB, or 1 KG. If your book order is heavy or oversized, we may contact you to let you know extra shipping is required.

Shipping rates within U.S.A.

Shipping rates within U.S.A.
Order quantity	5 to 14 business days	3 to 6 business days
First item	US$ 6.00	US$ 26.00

Delivery times are set by sellers and vary by carrier and location. Orders passing through Customs may face delays and buyers are responsible for any associated duties or fees. Sellers may contact you regarding additional charges to cover any increased costs to ship your items.