Mode of Explanation

A class of explanations that share a common set of characteristics.

All modes of explanation are infinitely improvable and subject to replacement by deeper modes. No mode is final — each is a Conjecture about how to structure understanding in a particular domain.

Connections

• •Contains explanations sharing common characteristics
• •Infinitely improvable — contra Essentialism
• •Can be replaced by deeper modes through Conjecture and Criticism
• •Related to Ontology — each mode brings its own concepts and tools
• •Examples include mechanical, teleological, emergent, and computational modes
• •Reach of a mode determines how far it extends