Explication

The idea and practice of explicate or explication is rooted in the verb to explicate, which concerns the process of 'unfolding' and of 'making clear' the meaning of things, so as to make the implicit explicit. The expression of 'explication' is used in both analytic philosophy and literary theory. The idea and practice of explicate or explication is rooted in the verb to explicate, which concerns the process of 'unfolding' and of 'making clear' the meaning of things, so as to make the implicit explicit. The expression of 'explication' is used in both analytic philosophy and literary theory. Explication can be regarded as a scientific process which transforms and replaces 'an inexact prescientific concept' (which Carnap calls the explicandum), with a 'new exact concept' (which he calls the explicatum). A description and explanation of the nature and impact of the new explicit knowledge is usually called an 'explication'. The new explicit knowledge draws on, and is an improvement upon, previous knowledge.