Single Idea 13065

[catalogued under 11. Knowledge Aims / A. Knowledge / 2. Understanding]

Full Idea

Understanding is an extremely vague concept.

Gist of Idea

Understanding is an extremely vague concept

Source

Wesley Salmon (Four Decades of Scientific Explanation [1989], 4.3)

Book Reference

Salmon,Wesley C.: 'Four Decades of Scientific Explanation', ed/tr. Humphreys,Paul [Pittsburgh 2006], p.127


A Reaction

True, I suppose, but we usually recognise understanding when we encounter it, and everybody has a pretty clear notion of an 'increase' in understanding. I suspect that the concept is perfectly clear, but we lack any scale for measuring it.