Is practical value sufficient?

Question

If you can describe a phenomenon by ALL the ways in which it is useful for us, is there anything more that an 'intellectual' explanation can give us?

If so, how is that not just more practical knowledge?

I didn't assume total disclosure is possible. It is embedded in a conditional claim.

"IF total disclosure, THEN explanation."

How is omission of some properties useful? You're constraining the definition of utility too much. The superfluous has no bearing on an explanation.

How is an 'intellectual explanation' not useful? I may observe that objects fall at a uniform speed despite mass -- and such knowledge would be useful for many applications. But even when a Newtonian theory of gravity can be given, which is useful in most respects, the law is not inviolable; we must take into account the mass of both the Earth and what gravitates towards it to generate a more precise account. Is the new theory useful? It depends on the context-- but Yes. Would a science that included the force of gravity on a fundamental level instead of merely observing its presence be more useful? Your conclusion is: No.

But the laws we derive from careful study of events are properties, and are useful

Answer 1

The first assumption I think that's incorrect or let's say faulty is the assumption that we can describe ALL the ways in which a phenbomena is useful. If we cant do that, then your question is mute; it doesnt matter anyay.

But lets say we can. OK, then the characteristics of a phenomena that make it "useful" may not be its ONLY characteristics, in which case our desription of the phenomena is incomplete and again your question is mute; it doesnt matter anyway.

But lets say we have it all, with nothing incomplete. We describe a phenomena by ALL the ways in whcih is it useful for us and that usefulness is the ONLY distinction that the phenomena has, meaning that there is absoultely NOTHING about the phenomena that is NOT useful. There is no waste. It is an economical phenomena as it were.

Therefore, having described this phenomena to its fullest extent, there is nothing missing in our descriptions. An "intellectual explanation" is NOT USEFUL. Again, this woudl make the question mute; it doesnt matter anyway.

Besides, a description of a phenomena based on its usefulness (or utility) is not the same thing as an explanation for the phenomena. Therefore, the explanation is of no use whatsover and provides nothing practical to us about the phenomena. So again, it makes the question mute; the explanation doesnt matter anyay.

As you know, phenomenon stands for any observable event. Phenomena make up the raw data of science. It was an attempt to explain phenomena like earthquakes, lightning, rain, fire, sunrise, thunderstorm, rusting that led to the development of modern science. Phenomena are often exploited by technology.

Some observable events are commonplace, others require delicate manipulation of expensive and sensitive equipment. Some are significant experiments which led to groundbreaking discoveries.

There is a class of phenomena which lie outside generally accepted knowledge which knowledgeable scientists tend to discount. They are collected and discussed under the topic anomalous phenomenon.

Answer 2

Practical value is too utilitarian. Not everything in this world is useful, nor does everything further the human race. Some things are just inherently valuable, such as nature, nightfall, bacterium etc..