Warum-Frage und Typentheorie der Erklärung

Why-questions and the search for explanations shape human thinking from childhood. But why does curiosity also target scientific explanations? Alexander Scheidt examines the concept of scientific explanation at the intersection of the philosophy of science and developmental psychology. At the core is the realization that why-questions express a specific epistemic feeling of wonder regarding the phenomenon to be explained. As a result, a why-question always demands a specific type of explanation. This perspective has implications for both the logic of scientific explanations and the understanding of why-questions in early childhood.