Empty Base Explanation

This book develops and applies a novel kind of explanation: Empty-Base Explanation. While ordinary explanations have a tripartite structure involving an explanandum, a base of reasons why the explanandum obtains, and a link that connects the reasons to the explanandum, this book argues that there are explanations whose corresponding set of reasons is empty. This novel idea is located in the theoretical background of several fundamental philosophical issues. For example, it provides a convincing kind of ultimate or final explanation that completely and conclusively explains a phenomenon without involving other phenomena for which further explanations could be demanded. The possibility and fruitfulness of empty-base explanation is defended by general considerations from the theory of explanation, as well as concrete applications to the practice of explanation by status, the explanation of logical theorems, causal connections, and laws of nature, self-explanation, the use of IBE in metaphysics, the notion of zero-ground (which it provides with a solid theoretical footing), and ultimate explanation and its application to philosophical cosmology, the debate about the PSR, and the question of why there is anything at all. For this book, Yannic Kappes has received the 2022 De Gruyter Prize for Ontology and Metaphysics from the German Society for Analytic Philosophy (GAP).

This book develops and applies a novel kind of explanation: Empty-Base Explanation. While ordinary explanations have a tripartite structure involving an explanandum, a base of reasons why the explanandum obtains, and a link that connects the reasons to the explanandum, this book argues that there are explanations whose corresponding set of reasons is empty. This novel idea is located in the theoretical background of several fundamental philosophical issues. For example, it provides a convincing kind of ultimate or final explanation that completely and conclusively explains a phenomenon without involving other phenomena for which further explanations could be demanded. The possibility and fruitfulness of empty-base explanation is defended by general considerations from the theory of explanation, as well as concrete applications to the practice of explanation by status, the explanation of logical theorems, causal connections, and laws of nature, self-explanation, the use of IBE in metaphysics, the notion of zero-ground (which it provides with a solid theoretical footing), and ultimate explanation and its application to philosophical cosmology, the debate about the PSR, and the question of why there is anything at all. For this book, Yannic Kappes has received the 2022 De Gruyter Prize for Ontology and Metaphysics from the German Society for Analytic Philosophy (GAP).

Bound with v. 52-55, 1933-34, is the hospital's supplement: Bulletin of the Institute of the History of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, v. 1-2.

This advanced level text documents a range of recent developments in computer methods which have led to considerable advances in molecular spectroscopy (UV, Visible and IR) and consequently led to a massive increase in the applications of spectroscopic methods to new problems. It is written by leading experts and fulfils a real need for more information on the subject. Computer Methods in UV, Visible and IR Spectroscopy covers the following two main areas and also provides essential practical examples: Identification of materials from their IR spectra by computer band match and expert systems; Data Manipulation and `combined techniques'. This book will assist operators of UV, Visible and IR spectrometers to make the most efficient use of the computers and programs supplied with their instruments.