As academics, we want to know why: why things are like this, or why they ought to be like that, or why we feel about them the way we do. When faced with questions like these, scholars give reasons. When their reasons are good, we say that they provide an explanation. Across disciplines, reason-giving is the bread and butter of academic research. But what does it mean to explain? Which kinds of reasons are we after when ask for an explanation? And do we all – people working in social sciences, the humanities, and STEM subjects – mean the same when we talk about explanations? Do we all do the same?

In this symposium, we will explore these and related issues by bringing together scholars from all of Warwick’s faculties. We will discuss what underlies the notion(s) of explanation that are at play in our own academic work and identify opportunities and potential challenges for inter- and transdisciplinary research.

The event will take place on 10 June 2024. The programme can be found here.

Open to all members of Warwick's academic and professional community. Please register here.