Bhaskar distinguishes theoretical and practical explanations (SRHE 68, 107-8; DPF 109-110; PE 24-25, 27-28). Theoretical explanation involves the detection of real, underlying structures and mechanisms which generate observable phenomena in a three-tiered process with a Humean level pertaining to the recognition of regularities, a Lockean level pertaining to the conceptualization of causal structure, and a Leibnizian level pertaining to the empirical detection of real structure. Practical explanation involves examining a complex conjuncture and analyzing it into component structures and mechanisms (already detected by theoretical explanation).
Copyright © 1997 Louis Irwin
| Abbreviations |
|
All Works by Roy Bhaskar:
|
