Thinking about Mechanisms
2000/03/01 by Peter Machamer, Lindley Darden, Carl F. Craver · 3,151 citations
Arts and Humanities · Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Psychology · #Biomedical Text Mining and Ontologies #Causality (physics) #Cognitive science #Computer science #Epistemology #Mechanism (biology) #Philosophy #Philosophy and History of Science #Physics #Psychology #Sociology
paper · doi:10.1086/392759
published in Philosophy of Science 67(1), 1-25 (Cambridge University Press)
openalex publication_date 2000/03/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/06
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.
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