philosophy discussion4
Valerielee
2/10/2018
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Phil 2: Puzzles and Paradoxes
Prof. Sven Bernecker
University of California, Irvine
Hermeneutic Circle
Three paradoxes of understanding:
• Paradox of Analysis
• Problem of the Criterion
• Hermeneutic Circle
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Hermeneutics
• Hermeneutics is the art or theory of interpretation. Originally
concerned with interpreting sacred texts, the term now has a
broader meaning. Hermeneutics is also a sub-discipline of
philosophy that is is concerned with questions of interpretation.
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• Etymology: In Greek
mythology Hermes has the
role of messenger of the Gods.
Hermes is also considered the
inventor of language and
speech.
Hermeneutics is concerned with understanding and interpreting
the meaning of a text.
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“Interpretation, in the sense relevant to hermeneutics, is an
attempt to make clear, to make sense of an object of study. This
object must, therefore, be a text, or a text-analogue, which in some
way is confused, incomplete, cloudy, seemingly contradictory -- in
one way or another, unclear. The interpretation aims to bring to
light an underlying coherence or sense” (Taylor, “Interpretation
and the Sciences of Man”, p. 3)
We can distinguish three
Hermeneutic circles
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Hermeneutic Circle 1
• The word of God/Allah/Yahweh is revealed in the Bible/Quran/Torah
• Faith in God/Allah/Yahweh presupposes an understanding of what
the Bible/Quran/Torah says
• But one cannot really understand what the Bible/Quran/Torah says
unless one has faith
• Hence: in order to have faith you have to understand – and in order
to understand you have to have faith
Understanding faith
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Hermeneutic Circle 2
• In order to understand a text in its entirety we have to understand
each part of it.
• In order to understand the parts of a text we have to understand
the whole text.
• Hence: in order to understand the whole text you have to
understand the parts – and in order to understand the parts you
have to understand the whole.
Part Whole
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• The hermeneutic circle 2 arises when one element in a text (e.g., a
sentence, a word) can only be understood in terms of the meanings of
others or of the whole text, yet understanding these other elements, or
the whole text, in turn presupposes understanding of the original
element.
• Similarly, we may hold that the past can only be understood in the light
of the present, and the present can only be understood in the light of
the past.
• Similarly, we may hold that some part of a political process can only be
understood in light of the whole of society, and the society can only be
understood in light of the parts.
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“This is one way of trying to express what has been called the
‘hermeneutic circle [2].‘ What we are trying to establish is a certain
reading of text or expressions, and what we appeal to as our
grounds for this reading can only be other readings. The circle
can also be put in terms of part-whole relations: we are trying to
establish a reading for the whole text, and for this we appeal to
readings of its partial expressions; and yet because we are
dealing with meaning, with making sense, where expressions only
make sense or not in relation to others, the readings of partial
expressions depend on those of others, and ultimately of the
whole“ (Taylor, “Interpretation and the Sciences of Man”, p. 6)
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The Hermeneutic Circle 2 Paradox:
1) We can understand the meaning of texts.
2) One cannot firmly determine the meaning of a word without a
firm grip on the meaning of its sentential (or even larger)
context.
3) One cannot firmly determine the meaning of a semantical (or
even larger) context without a firm grip on the meaning of its
component words.
C) Therefore, contrary to (1), it is not possible to get a firm
grip on the meaning of a text. (2, 3)
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• Martin Heidegger (1889 –
1976). German philosopher
• Hans-Georg Gadamer
(1900 – 2002). German
philosopher.
• Paul de Man (1919-1983).
Belgian-born literary critic
and literary theorist.
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Solution to Hermeneutic Circle 2
• “firm grip on meaning“ is a matter of degree.
• When interpreting a text we enter into a cyclic feedback
alternation between word and context (sentence, paragraph,
chapter) interpretation that provides an increasingly firm grip
on the meaning of the word and the context alike.
• The hermeneutic circle is in fact a hermeneutic spiral.
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Hermeneutic Circle 3
• The interpretation of an object is determined by the interpreter‘s
preconceptions
• The interpreter‘s preconceptions are affected by the interpretation
of the object.
• Hence: in order to interpret an object you need to have some
specific preconception – and in order to have that specific
preconception one needs to have interpreted the object
preconception object
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