What is the difference between an explanation and a justification?
Some facts are free of typical moral concerns and only invite explanation, such as the fact that humans need water to survive. Events with moral considerations such as why somebody took someone else’s water invite both. One explanation for taking the water could be that the person who took it wanted to sell it. If that water didn’t belong to the person who took it then we could say that there was no justification for taking it. If the water was originally stolen from the person who took it then that person’s justification for taking it would be that it was their water in the first place. An explanation tells why something was done, and a justification tries to tell why the purpose for doing it was good or at least why that action should be excused.
explanation: 1. statement explaining something: a statement giving reasons for something or details of something an explanation of how the machine works 2. giving details or reasons: the act of giving details about something or reasons for something The explanation of what had happened took some time. http://encarta.msn.com/…/…onaryResults.aspx the details or reasons that someone gives to make something clear or easy to understand http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp 1. the act or process of explaining. 2. something that explains; a statement made to clarify something and make it understandable; exposition: an explanation of a poem. 3. a meaning or interpretation: to find an explanation for a mystery. 4. a mutual declaration of the meani
