Explanation: A First Pass.
Abstract
The author discusses some of the issues surrounding the problem of explanation. He asks: Why do we need to send and receive these explanations? What is their value? After we explain a thing to ourselves or accept the explantation of another, what becomes of it? What is the point of these explanations? What is their role in the learning process? What do they tell us about what it means to be intelligent? For some people, explanations do not play a big role. Many people are willing to observe events that would disturb others, and attribute these events to inexplicable circumstances. What is the difference between people who search for explanations for everything and those who do not require them? What are they doing differently? Is curiosity the major factor with little more significance than the entertainment value of the explanation? Is there some emotional satisfaction derived from knowing why things have happened the way they did, or, is something more significant afoot? Keywords: Understanding, Reminding, and Memory.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 01, 1984
- Accession Number
- ADA154162
Entities
People
- R. C. Schank
Organizations
- Yale University