▁transform ing ▁a ▁given ▁more ▁or ▁less ▁in ex act ▁concept ▁into ▁an ▁exact ▁one ▁or , ▁rather , ▁in ▁replacing ▁the ▁first ▁by ▁the ▁second . ▁We ▁call ▁the ▁given ▁concept ▁( or ▁the ▁term ▁used ▁for ▁it ) ▁the ▁explic and um , ▁and ▁the ▁exact ▁concept ▁proposed ▁to ▁take ▁the ▁place ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁( or ▁the ▁term ▁proposed ▁for ▁it ) ▁the ▁explic atum . ▁The ▁explic and um ▁may ▁belong ▁to ▁every day ▁language ▁or ▁to ▁a ▁previous ▁stage ▁in ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁scientific ▁language . ▁The ▁explic atum ▁must ▁be ▁given ▁by ▁explicit ▁rules ▁for ▁its ▁use , ▁for ▁example , ▁by ▁a ▁definition ▁which ▁incorpor ates ▁it ▁into ▁a ▁well - construct ed ▁system ▁of ▁scientific ▁either ▁logic om ath emat ical ▁or ▁empir ical ▁concepts ." ▁ ▁In ▁this ▁context , ▁' exp lication ' ▁is ▁now ▁regarded ▁as ▁" an ▁appropriate ▁method ology ▁for ▁formal ▁philosophy ". ▁( M ah er , ▁ 2 0 0 7 ). ▁ ▁By ▁contrast , ▁in ▁literary ▁criticism , ▁the ▁term ▁' exp lication ' ▁is ▁used ▁as ▁a ▁proxy ▁for ▁the ▁term ▁exp lication ▁de ▁tex te , ▁where ▁additional ▁understand ings ▁and ▁mean ings ▁are ▁derived ▁from ▁the ▁" close ▁reading " ▁of ▁( say ) ▁a ▁poem , ▁novel ▁or ▁play . ▁ ▁In ▁this ▁process , ▁exp lication ▁often ▁involves ▁a ▁line - by - line ▁or ▁episode - by - ep is ode ▁comment ary ▁on ▁what ▁is ▁going ▁on ▁in ▁a