Abstract
In this and the next chapter we shall outline a theory of the explanation of social (i.e., multi-agent) action and discuss some specific issues related to this broad topic. Our account will in part connect with the purposive-causal theory of social action developed in this book and hence emphasize the agents’ causal action propensities. In addition, we shall also emphasize that the explanation of social action can be handled within the pragmatic nomological account of scientific explanation presented above in Chapter 10. A third key aspect of our theory of the explanation of (intentional) social action is that such explanation should in part consist in laying bare the participating agents’ conduct plans and relevant practical reasonings leading to their joint action.
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© 1984 D. Reidel Publishing Company
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Tuomela, R. (1984). Proximate Explanation of Social Action. In: A Theory of Social Action. Synthese Library, vol 171. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-6317-7_11
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-6317-7_11
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-009-6319-1
Online ISBN: 978-94-009-6317-7
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