On The Scope of Mechanistic Explanation in Cognitive Sciences

Computational explanations focus on information processing tasks of specific cognitive capacities. In this paper, we argue that there are at least two different kinds of computational explanations; the interlevel and the intralevel ones. Moreover, it will be argued that neither interlevel nor intralevel computational explanations can be subsumed under the banner of standard mechanistic explanations. In the case of interlevel explanations, the problem is the direction of explanation, and in the case of intralevel explanations, the problem are the dependencies that the explanations track. Finally, it is argued that in the context of explanation of cognitive phenomena, it may be necessary to defend more liberal and pluralistic views of explanation, which would allow that there are also some non-mechanistic forms of explanation.