Does Scientific Explanation Depend on Narrative Coherence?

Abstract

This paper critically examines the long-standing question of whether scientific explanation depends on narrative coherence. While traditional philosophy of science has largely marginalized the role of narrative, this paper argues that narrative coherence is not merely a rhetorical or pedagogical tool, but a fundamental and ineliminable component of scientific explanation and understanding. Drawing on insights from philosophy of science, narrative theory, and cognitive science, this paper develops a novel theoretical framework—the Narrative-Driven Explanatory Coherence (NDEC) model—which posits that scientific explanations achieve their explanatory power through a dynamic interplay between logical-scientific reasoning and narrative coherence. The NDEC model proposes that narrative provides the essential cognitive and epistemic scaffolding for constructing, evaluating, and communicating scientific explanations. The paper further argues that the traditional demarcation between scientific explanation and narrative is a false dichotomy that has hindered a complete understanding of how science generates knowledge and understanding. By integrating narrative into the core of scientific explanation, this paper offers a more comprehensive and descriptively adequate account of scientific practice and its cognitive foundations.