How can I see what exactly an application does? I'm a bit surprised I couldn't find this answers myself.  I am a major minimalist when it comes to computers (my desktop and laptop both run strip-down Linuces) and I wanted to get rid of some of the bloatware that came with my new Android.
My only problem being that I'm not entirely sure what some of the applications do and whether I need/want them.  Is there any way to get details on what an application does?

Edit: For clarification: when I say "details" I mean some description of what the application does.

Edit: My device is a Samsung S4 Mini from AT&amp;T.
It's a really old question but you may still be interested in this quite new community project : Universal Android Debloater
It's a bash script using ADB to debloat non-rooted smartphones. The packages lists used are as well documented as possible in order to provide a better understanding of what you can delete or not.