Thinking about mechanisms

Peter Machamer; Lindley Darden; Carl F. Craver

doi:10.1086/392759

Thinking about mechanisms

Peter Machamer
, Lindley Darden
, Carl F. Craver

Department of Philosophy

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2267 Scopus citations

Abstract

The concept of mechanism is analyzed in terms of entities and activities, organized such that they are productive of regular changes. Examples show how mechanisms work in neurobiology and molecular biology. Thinking in terms of mechanisms provides a new framework for addressing many traditional philosophical issues: causality, laws, explanation, reduction, and scientific change.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1-25
Number of pages	25
Journal	Philosophy of Science
Volume	67
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1086/392759
State	Published - Mar 2000

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Thinking about mechanisms

Abstract

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