Moving parts: the natural alliance between dynamical and mechanistic modeling approaches

Biology and Philosophy 30 (6):757-786 (2015)
  Copy   BIBTEX

Abstract

Recently, it has been provocatively claimed that dynamical modeling approaches signal the emergence of a new explanatory framework distinct from that of mechanistic explanation. This paper rejects this proposal and argues that dynamical explanations are fully compatible with, even naturally construed as, instances of mechanistic explanations. Specifically, it is argued that the mathematical framework of dynamics provides a powerful descriptive scheme for revealing temporal features of activities in mechanisms and plays an explanatory role to the extent it is deployed for this purpose. It is also suggested that more attention should be paid to the distinctive methodological contributions of the dynamical framework including its usefulness as a heuristic for mechanism discovery and hypothesis generation in contemporary neuroscience and biology

Other Versions

No versions found

Links

PhilArchive



    Upload a copy of this work     Papers currently archived: 100,774

External links

Setup an account with your affiliations in order to access resources via your University's proxy server

Through your library

Similar books and articles

Dynamical Models and Explanation in Neuroscience.Lauren N. Ross - 2015 - Philosophy of Science 82 (1):32-54.
A Categorical Formalism of Mechanism.Jinyeong Gim - 2021 - Dissertation, Seoul National University
Models and mechanisms in network neuroscience.Carlos Zednik - 2018 - Philosophical Psychology 32 (1):23-51.
Dynamical causes.Russell Meyer - 2020 - Biology and Philosophy 35 (5):1-21.
The Non-mechanistic Option: Defending Dynamical Explanations.Russell Meyer - 2018 - British Journal for the Philosophy of Science 71 (3):959-985.
The Nature of Dynamical Explanation.Carlos Zednik - 2011 - Philosophy of Science 78 (2):238-263.

Analytics

Added to PP
2015-08-29

Downloads
100 (#206,703)

6 months
3 (#1,498,028)

Historical graph of downloads
How can I increase my downloads?