Causal explanation

Functional explanation

Teleological explanation

Historical explanation

To support the claims made in the explanation

To refute the claims made in the explanation

To provide an alternative explanation for the phenomenon being explained

To generate new hypotheses about the phenomenon being explained

Biological explanations are a type of scientific explanation

Biological explanations are distinct from other types of scientific explanation

Biological explanations are more complex than other types of scientific explanation

Biological explanations are less rigorous than other types of scientific explanation

Causal explanations explain why something happens, while functional explanations explain what something does

Causal explanations explain how something happens, while functional explanations explain why something happens

Causal explanations explain the mechanisms or processes that underlie a phenomenon, while functional explanations explain the purpose or goal of a phenomenon

Causal explanations explain the immediate cause of a phenomenon, while functional explanations explain the ultimate cause of a phenomenon

Teleological explanations explain why something happens in terms of its purpose or goal, while non-teleological explanations explain why something happens in terms of its causes

Teleological explanations explain how something happens in terms of its purpose or goal, while non-teleological explanations explain how something happens in terms of its causes

Teleological explanations explain the mechanisms or processes that underlie a phenomenon, while non-teleological explanations explain the purpose or goal of a phenomenon

Teleological explanations explain the immediate cause of a phenomenon, while non-teleological explanations explain the ultimate cause of a phenomenon

The problem of induction is the problem of how we can justify our belief in the uniformity of nature

The problem of induction is the problem of how we can justify our belief in the existence of causal relationships

The problem of induction is the problem of how we can justify our belief in the existence of natural laws

The problem of induction is the problem of how we can justify our belief in the existence of scientific theories

The problem of induction means that we can never be certain that our biological explanations are true

The problem of induction means that we can never be certain that our biological explanations are complete

The problem of induction means that we can never be certain that our biological explanations are useful

The problem of induction means that we can never be certain that our biological explanations are falsifiable

Mechanistic explanations explain why something happens in terms of the mechanisms or processes that underlie it, while non-mechanistic explanations explain why something happens in terms of its purpose or goal

Mechanistic explanations explain how something happens in terms of the mechanisms or processes that underlie it, while non-mechanistic explanations explain how something happens in terms of its purpose or goal

Mechanistic explanations explain the mechanisms or processes that underlie a phenomenon, while non-mechanistic explanations explain the purpose or goal of a phenomenon

Mechanistic explanations explain the immediate cause of a phenomenon, while non-mechanistic explanations explain the ultimate cause of a phenomenon

Proximate explanations explain why something happens in terms of its immediate cause, while ultimate explanations explain why something happens in terms of its ultimate cause

Proximate explanations explain how something happens in terms of its immediate cause, while ultimate explanations explain how something happens in terms of its ultimate cause

Proximate explanations explain the mechanisms or processes that underlie a phenomenon, while ultimate explanations explain the purpose or goal of a phenomenon

Proximate explanations explain the immediate cause of a phenomenon, while ultimate explanations explain the distal cause of a phenomenon

Reductionist explanations explain a phenomenon in terms of its constituent parts, while non-reductionist explanations explain a phenomenon in terms of its emergent properties

Reductionist explanations explain how a phenomenon happens in terms of its constituent parts, while non-reductionist explanations explain how a phenomenon happens in terms of its emergent properties

Reductionist explanations explain the mechanisms or processes that underlie a phenomenon, while non-reductionist explanations explain the purpose or goal of a phenomenon

Reductionist explanations explain the immediate cause of a phenomenon, while non-reductionist explanations explain the ultimate cause of a phenomenon

Nomological explanations explain a phenomenon in terms of general laws, while idiographic explanations explain a phenomenon in terms of its unique circumstances

Nomological explanations explain how a phenomenon happens in terms of general laws, while idiographic explanations explain how a phenomenon happens in terms of its unique circumstances

Nomological explanations explain the mechanisms or processes that underlie a phenomenon, while idiographic explanations explain the purpose or goal of a phenomenon

Nomological explanations explain the immediate cause of a phenomenon, while idiographic explanations explain the ultimate cause of a phenomenon

Teleological explanations explain a phenomenon in terms of its purpose or goal, while mechanistic explanations explain a phenomenon in terms of its underlying mechanisms

Teleological explanations explain how a phenomenon happens in terms of its purpose or goal, while mechanistic explanations explain how a phenomenon happens in terms of its underlying mechanisms

Teleological explanations explain the mechanisms or processes that underlie a phenomenon, while mechanistic explanations explain the purpose or goal of a phenomenon

Teleological explanations explain the immediate cause of a phenomenon, while mechanistic explanations explain the ultimate cause of a phenomenon

Functional explanations explain a phenomenon in terms of its function or purpose, while causal explanations explain a phenomenon in terms of its cause

Functional explanations explain how a phenomenon happens in terms of its function or purpose, while causal explanations explain how a phenomenon happens in terms of its cause

Functional explanations explain the mechanisms or processes that underlie a phenomenon, while causal explanations explain the purpose or goal of a phenomenon

Functional explanations explain the immediate cause of a phenomenon, while causal explanations explain the ultimate cause of a phenomenon

Historical explanations explain a phenomenon in terms of its historical development, while non-historical explanations explain a phenomenon in terms of its current state

Historical explanations explain how a phenomenon happens in terms of its historical development, while non-historical explanations explain how a phenomenon happens in terms of its current state

Historical explanations explain the mechanisms or processes that underlie a phenomenon, while non-historical explanations explain the purpose or goal of a phenomenon

Historical explanations explain the immediate cause of a phenomenon, while non-historical explanations explain the ultimate cause of a phenomenon