Levels and kinds of explanation: lessons from neuropsychiatry

Front Psychol. 2014 Apr 29:5:373. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00373. eCollection 2014.

Abstract

I use an example from neuropsychiatry, namely delusional misidentification, to show a distinction between levels of explanation and kinds of explanation. Building on a pragmatic view of explanation, different kinds of explanation arise because we have different kinds of explanatory concerns. One important kind of explanatory concern involves asking a certain kind of "why" question. Answering such questions provides a personal explanation, namely, renders intelligible the beliefs and actions of other persons. I use contrasting theories of delusional misidentification to highlight how different facts about the phenomenon that is being explained impose constraints on the availability of personal explanation.

Keywords: delusion; explanation in psychology; levels of explanation; neuropsychiatry; personal explanation.

Publication types

  • Review