Competing Explanations: Exclusion and Importance in Historical Accounts

In this book, Mark Day undertakes a philosophicalexamination of the nature of explanatory competitionbetween historical accounts. It is usual for aphilosophy of explanation to attempt an analysis ofexplanation, singular. The focus of this work is onrelations between two or more explanations. Themethodology of Day''s work is built upon a conceptionof descriptive philosophy: such that when attemptingto philosophise about a practice such as history, weshould pay detailed attention to existing goodpractice. To this end, Day''s conclusions aredeveloped in conjunction with an examination of eightdiffering explanations of the French Revolution. Dayargues for, and analyses, two major types of relationbetween historical accounts: relations of exclusion,and of competition. In examining the nature ofexplanatory competition, Day develops a realistaccount of the nature of historical importance.