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HermeneuticCircle.pdf

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

LiYuxi

2/10/2018

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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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