UCLA Philosophy 8 Final Exam With 100% Correct Answers 2025/2026

UCLA Philosophy 8 Final Exam With 100% Correct Answers 2025/2026 Explanans of an Explanation - answer-The fact(s) that explain the explanandum Explanandum of an Explanation - answer-The fact to be explained Covering-Law Model of Explanation (Deductive Nomological Model) - answer-By Carl Hempel and Paul Oppenheim To explain phenomena P is to derive it in terms of a logical deductive argument Four features required of an explanation in the Covering-Law Model - answer-1. An explanation is a type of argument with the explanans as the premise(s) and the explanandum as the conclusion 2. The explanans must contain at least one general law of nature, and the law of nature must be required in the argument such that the explanandum would not follow without it 3. The premises must be true 4. The explanans must have "empirical content" Main Criticism of the DNM (Flagpole Example) - answer-The DNM cannot capture the asymmetry of explanation: The DNM says I can predict the height of a flagpole from the length of the shadow, but I cannot explain why. Have argument but no explanation Also, it is not clear what a law of nature is. According to Lakatos, what does a scientific research program consist of? - answer-Hard-Core, Protective BeltExamples: Newtonian mechanics - hard core is newton's laws, protective belt is claims about the masses of the planets Darwinian biology - hard core: claim that species are linked by family trees which represent evolutionary descent; protective belt: detailed stories about the relationships between species What is the hard core of the program? - answer-Represents the main elements of the research program What is the protective belt of the program? - answer-auxiliary hypotheses are used to apply the hard core to particular cases; protect the hard core from falsification because these hypotheses would be rejected if an incorrect prediction is deduced