Understanding something and being able to explain it stand in a dialectical relationship. "Strictly speaking, explanation alone is methodical. Understanding is instead the nonmethodical moment that, in the sciences of interpretation, combines with the methodical moment of explanation. Understanding precedes, accompanies, concludes, and thus envelops explanation. Explanation, in turn, develops understanding analytically. This dialectical tie between explanation and understanding results in a very complex and paradoxical relation between the human sciences and the natural sciences." (Ricoeur, 1991, p.142)