Contemporary developments in the theory of explanation a explanation and causal realism with the decline of logical positivism and the gathering success of modern b explanation and constructive empiricism in his book the scientific image 1980 bas van fraassen produced an c explanation . Theories of explanation book read reviews from worlds largest community for readers since the publication of carl hempel and paul oppenheims ground b. Different theories of explanation emerge from this focus logical explanations statistical explanations pragmatic explanations theoretical explanations probabilistic explanations explanations as unifying aids and the act of explanation a general agreement is explanation is not the same thing as description