MECHANISM AND EXPLANATION

The aim of this article is to elucidate the notions of explanation and mechanism, in particular of the social kind. A mechanism is defined a s what makes a concrete system tick, and it is argued that to propose an explanation proper is to exhibit a lawful mechanism. The so-called covering law model is shown to exhibit only the logical aspect of expl anation: it just subsumes particulars under universals. A full or mech anismic explanation involves mechanismic law statements, not purely de scriptive ones such as functional relations and rate equations. Many e xamples from the natural, biosocial, and social sciences are examined. In particular, macro-micro-micro-macro social relations are shown to explain otherwise puzzling macro-macro links. The last part of the art icle relates the author's progress, over half a century, toward unders tanding mechanism and explanation.