Hermeneutics

Hans-Georg Gadamer and Paul Ricoeur.

History of hermeneutics

The history of hermeneutics can be divided into three major moments: the classical moment, the methodological or epistemological moment and the moment of hermeneutics as hermeneutical philosophy.

In its classical beginnings, hermeneutics was born as a discipline dedicated to the interpretation of sacred or canonical texts from theological, legal and philological fields. Its purpose was fundamentally normative, since it had the task of proposing rules that would allow texts that seemed ambiguous or vague to be correctly interpreted.

Thus, hermeneutics was an auxiliary and normative discipline, which provided a service to the other sciences so that they could interpret their own texts. This, however, changed with the arrival of Friedrich Schleiermacher (1769-1838).

Schleiermacher inaugurated the methodological moment or stage, which was a stage of hermeneutics known as the deregionalization of hermeneutics. There was talk of “deregionalization” because the hermeneutics of the “regions” to which it was linked was shifted: theology, law or juridical science, and philology.

Wilhelm Dilthey (1833-1911) continued this path and took hermeneutics to new horizons. His work was highlighted by the belief that hermeneutics was an epistemological reflection (a reflection on knowledge) that sought to review the claim to truth and the scientific status of the social sciences.

In the stage of hermeneutical philosophy, hermeneutics was separated from the interpretation of texts and its methodological function. Instead, it became a fundamental and ontological discipline, which instead of texts began to interpret existence, as happens in the works of Martin Heidegger, especially in Being and Time.

Characteristics of hermeneutics

Hermeneutics is an approach and methodology used to interpret and understand texts, discourses, symbols, works of art and cultural phenomena in general. Over time, it has evolved and been applied to various areas, including philosophy, theology, literature, social sciences, and more.

There are certain characteristics that define the essence of hermeneutics and its focus on unraveling deep meanings and better understanding texts and existential phenomena. These are:

• Interpretation and understanding. Hermeneutics focuses on the interpretation and understanding of meanings. It strives to go beyond the surface and discover the deeper layers of meaning in a text or existential phenomenon.
• Context. Hermeneutics considers context as essential for accurate interpretation. This includes the historical, cultural, social and linguistic context in which the text or phenomenon was produced.
• Understanding Horizon. Hermeneutics maintains that each reader or interpreter brings with them a unique horizon of experiences, beliefs, and knowledge that influences their interpretation. Hermeneutics recognizes the importance of this horizon in interpretation.
• Dialogue between the author and the reader. Hermeneutics is often conceived as a dialogue between the author of the text and the reader. It's about discovering how the author may have thought and expressed his ideas, and how the reader can enter into that dialogue to better understand.
• Fusion of horizons. Hermeneutics seeks a “fusion of horizons” between the author's horizon and the reader's horizon. As the reader interprets the text, the two horizons connect and enrich each other.
• Prejudices and presuppositions. Hermeneutics recognizes that interpreters bring with them prejudices and presuppositions that can influence their interpretation. These prejudices must be aware and questioned to achieve a more objective understanding.
• hermeneutical circle. Hermeneutics has an iterative process in which the interpreter moves between individual parts of the text and the overall whole, constantly reviewing and adjusting their understanding as they go.
• Text as an expression of life. Hermeneutics considers cultural texts and works to be expressions of human life, and interpretation seeks to capture that richness.
• Historicity and change of meaning. Hermeneutics holds that the meanings of texts can change over time due to changes in the cultural and social context. Hermeneutics considers this historical aspect in interpretation.
• Subjectivity and objectivity. Hermeneutics recognizes that interpretation always involves some subjectivity, but also seeks to achieve objectivity to the extent possible by relying on rigorous analysis and consideration of multiple perspectives.

Representatives of hermeneutics

Hermeneutics has been practiced by many philosophers throughout history. As a discipline that works with the interpretation of texts, it is often used in other areas of philosophy or even in other disciplines. However, there are some philosophers who, due to their contributions, are its greatest representatives:

• Friedrich Schleiermacher (1768-1834). He proposed a hermeneutics focused on the understanding of texts and communication between the author and the reader. He introduced the idea that every text is an expression of the author's consciousness and thought, and that the reader must try to recreate that thought in his or her own mind. He emphasized the importance of historical and cultural context to properly understand texts, and thus influenced biblical and theological interpretation.
• Wilhelm Dilthey (1833-1911). He expanded hermeneutics beyond the interpretation of literary and religious texts, also applying it to the human and social sciences. He proposed a hermeneutics that focused on understanding the vital expressions of individuals and cultures, considering that understanding required deep empathy with the emotional and cultural context. His hermeneutic approach was reflected in his work on historical interpretation and in the distinction between explanation and understanding in the human sciences.
• Martin Heidegger (1889-1976). He developed an existential phenomenological hermeneutics, delving into the relationship between language and the understanding of being. In his work Being and Timeexplored the idea that understanding the self is intrinsically linked to language and interpretation. He stated that human existence is a form of constant interpretation of the world and oneself. His approach influenced how topics such as ontology and philosophical interpretation were approached.
• Hans-Georg Gadamer (1900-2002). He expanded hermeneutics towards contemporary philosophy with his work Truth and Method. He proposed that comprehension is a process in which the reader's previous horizon interacts with the horizon of the text, which gives rise to an interpretive dialogue in constant evolution. He introduced the concept of “hermeneutical prejudices” as frames of reference that influence interpretation. His focus on tradition and the fusion of horizons influenced how cultural and philosophical understanding is approached.
• Paul Ricoeur (1913-2005). He fused elements of phenomenology and hermeneutics, focusing on narrative and human action. In his work Interpretation in the human sciencesexplored how understanding relates to narrative structure and how stories help us understand the world and ourselves. He also introduced the concept of “double hermeneutics”, which refers to the interpretation of texts by the author and the interpretation of those texts by the reader.

References

• Grondin, J. (2014). What is hermeneutics? Herder Editorial.
• Palmer, RE, & Parra, BD (2002). What is hermeneutics?: theory of interpretation in Schleiermacher, Dilthey, Heidegger and Gadamer. Arc/Books.
• Ricoeur, P. (2008). Hermeneutics and action. From the hermeneutics of the text to the hermeneutics of action. Prometeo Books Editorial.