Full Idea
The question about explanation can be put this way: What has to be added to knowledge to yield understanding?
Gist of Idea
An explanation is what is added to knowledge to yield understanding
Source
Peter Lipton (Inference to the Best Explanation (2nd) [2004], 02 'Underst')
Book Reference
Lipton,Peter: 'Inference to the Best Explanation (2nd ed)' [Routledge 2004], p.20
A Reaction
In the spirit of Aristotle, I take 'understanding' to be the end of all enquiry, even if it's rather open-ended, relative and vague. Presumably there are lots of true explanations which don't deliver understanding, because baffling ingredients are cited.
Related Idea
Idea 15559 Does a good explanation produce understanding? That claim is just empty [Lewis]