What makes one explanation better than another?  How can we tell when an explanation has really answered our question?  In a lively and readable discussion, Garfinkel argues that the key to understanding an explanation is to discover what question is really being answered.  He then suggests criteria for a good explanation and goes on to examine some classic explanations in social and natural science.

What makes one explanation better than another?  How can we tell when an explanation has really answered our question?  In a lively and readable discussion, Garfinkel argues that the key to understanding an explanation is to discover what question is really being answered.  He then suggests criteria for a good explanation and goes on to examine some classic explanations in social and natural science.