Critical realism and analytic sociology support what can be called explanation by mechanism (EbM). EbM consists of … explanation because it does not give a description of how the proposed causal connection comes about. The mechanism thesis claims … of mechanism(s) because a 'theory' of the agent (agent-image) and an account of the relevant context(s) are needed. …

under investigation. The paper offers an account of the considerations that determine the extent to which a theory …’s implications prohibit the occurrence of particular events in the relevant domain. This theory of "predictive degree" both expresses …