A Theory of Understanding Philosophical and Psychological Perspectives

A Theory of Understanding provides a philosophical and psychologically grounded account of understanding. The philosophical tradition has been largely concerned with explanation, seeking to provide characteristics by which an explanation can be distinguished from other types of utterances. Chart argues that this is the wrong approach and proposes that anything which improves understanding should be regarded as an explanation. This approach requires a theory of understanding; Chart proposes a new theory claiming that we understand something when we can predict what it will do under a wide range of possible conditions, and that explanations are statements that improve our understanding. The theory presented sees understanding as a matter of the possession of mental models, which provide the ability to simulate things and situations. Experimental evidence drawn from the cognitive science literature shows that the substantive psychological theory presented is an accurate description of the mind. Setting out a new theory of understanding that draws on both the philosophical and cognitive science traditions, this book presents important insights for philosophers of science and mind, epistemology, and cognitive science.