Abstract
The four key attributes of a fundamental explanatory structure are: irreducibility, generality, commensurability, and fertility. Because reductionism ultimately fails as an explanation of all things, a mutually commensurable set of fundamental ideas is required, as opposed to a single fundamental Theory of Everything. However, the unity of science is insured by the commensurable interrelationships between these fundamental (and thus irreducible) explanatory structures.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2019 Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Derry, G.N. (2019). Fundamentality, Explanation, and the Unity of Science. In: Aguirre, A., Foster, B., Merali, Z. (eds) What is Fundamental?. The Frontiers Collection. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-11301-8_12
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-11301-8_12
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-11300-1
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-11301-8
eBook Packages: Physics and AstronomyPhysics and Astronomy (R0)