[PhilPhys] This Friday Annual Lecture Series - Holly Andersen 3/24

Wed Mar 22 21:12:00 CET 2023

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	"cnbc-all at cnbc.cmu.edu" <cnbc-all at cnbc.cmu.edu>, 
	"philos-l at listserv.liv.ac.uk" <philos-l at listserv.liv.ac.uk>, 
	"listserv at listserv.uh.edu" <listserv at listserv.uh.edu>, 
	"moderator at ishpssb.org" <moderator at ishpssb.org>
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--></style></head><body lang=3DEN-US link=3Dblue vlink=3D"#954F72" style=3D=
'word-wrap:break-word'><div class=3DWordSection1><div><div><p class=3DMsoNo=
rmal><a href=3D"https://www.centerphilsci.pitt.edu/" target=3D"_blank" titl=
e=3D"https://www.centerphilsci.pitt.edu/"><br>The Center for Philosophy of =
Science</a> at the University of Pittsburgh invites you to join us for=
 our upcoming Annual Lecture Series presentation.  </p></div><div=
><div><p class=3DMsoNormal>Attend in person in the Cathedral of Learni=
ng at the University of Pittsburgh or </p><p class=3DMsoNormal>visit o=
ur live stream on YouTube at <a href=3D"https://www.youtube.com/channe=
l/UCrRp47ZMXD7NXO3a9Gyh2sg" target=3D"_blank">https://www.youtube.com/chann=
el/UCrRp47ZMXD7NXO3a9Gyh2sg</a>.  </p><p class=3DMsoNormal> =
  </p><p class=3DMsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=3DMsoNor=
mal><a href=3D"https://www.sfu.ca/philosophy/people/faculty/profiles/holly-=
andersen.html" target=3D"_blank" title=3D"https://www.sfu.ca/philosophy/peo=
ple/faculty/profiles/holly-andersen.html">Holly Andersen</a> </p><p cl=
ass=3DMsoNormal>Friday, March 24th @ 3:30 pm EST  </p><p cla=
ss=3DMsoNormal>Cathedral of Learning -Room 1008 on the 10th Floor&nbsp=
; </p><p class=3DMsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=3DMsoNormal>T=
itle: Starting Points in Ohio: A pragmatist account of the asymmetry o=
f explanation</p><p class=3DMsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=3DMsoNo=
rmal>Abstract: Recent discussions around explanation have concerned th=
e issue of asymmetry, an issue dating back at least to the well-known examp=
le of the shadow of a flagpole. What is the source of the directionality in=
 explanation such that it should go one direction, and not the other? One c=
ommon approach is to locate the directedness of explanation in the relation=
(s) that figure in an explanation: in causal explanations, for example, the=
 direction of the causal arrow yields the asymmetry of the explanation in w=
hich the causal relation figures. I will first criticize this outsourcing o=
f the directedness of explanation to bits of the world being directed, illu=
strated with the Quinean point about starting points in Ohio. I then offer =
an alternative, pragmatist, account of explanation on which explanation is =
itself already directed, regardless of the relation(s) that figure in any e=
xplanation. We don=E2=80=99t need the parts of the world highlighted in an =
explanation to be intrinsically directed for explanation to nevertheless be=
 directed. I illustrate how this accommodates the plurality of explanations=
 in the sciences that don=E2=80=99t involve straightforwardly asymmetric re=
lationships, distinguishing ways in which explanans and explanandum can be =
connected that are not fully asymmetric in at least some sense, such as und=
irected relations, bidirectional relations, or pairs of undirected relation=
s. Only reflexive loops fail to be explanatory on this account.</p><p class=
=3DMsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=3DMsoNormal>Please Register Here=
: <a href=3D"https://forms.gle/NFwuo7BR2HvARWtF8" target=3D"_blank">ht=
tps://forms.gle/NFwuo7BR2HvARWtF8</a></p><p class=3Dxxxxmsonormal style=3D'=
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n></p></div></div></div><p class=3DMsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=
=3DMsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=3DMsoNormal>Sent from <a href=3D=
"https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=3D550986">Mail</a> for Windows</p>=
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