Gadamer's Hermeneutics Research Articles

The Quest for the Historical Leviathan: Truth and Method in Biblical Studies

Abstract This article sets the problem of historical study of the biblical world in the context of the post-Enlightenment ideological development of scientism and historicism, viewed as basic, contradictory cultural ideals. Employing the literary analyses of Meier Sternberg and aspects of Gadamer's hermeneutics, I argue that the normative "truth claims" that Scripture makes on its readers reside in the text, not in the "facts" behind the text, even when Scripture is explicitly referring to the real world and describing historical events.

The Quest for the Historical Leviathan: Truth and Method in Biblical Studies

Abstract This article sets the problem of historical study of the biblical world in the context of the post-Enlightenment ideological development of scientism and historicism, viewed as basic, contradictory cultural ideals. Employing the literary analyses of Meier Sternberg and aspects of Gadamer's hermeneutics, I argue that the normative "truth claims" that Scripture makes on its readers reside in the text, not in the "facts" behind the text, even when Scripture is explicitly referring to the real world and describing historical events.

Administração de recursos humanos em saúde e humanização: o viés hermenêutico

ABSTRACT Brazil's National Policy of Humanization is considered to have the capacity to restructure how healthcare is provided. Several studies have discussed it based on the theoretical, practical and/or philosophical perspectives that support it. In this article, we also discuss the ramifications of this policy from the perspective of the administration of human resources for health. We believe that the practices of the administration of human resources for healthcare mark the intense daily work of the act and therefore they are where the new territories of the so-called relational technologies should especially be mapped. These practices establish the unequivocal condition of the formation of (inter)subjectivities that permeate the relationships and characterize the encounters within this field. They also establish the production of meanings that mediate the human-world/text relationship. These features have been analyzed grounded in Gadamer's hermeneutics and how it can contribute to the expansion of this policy from the perspective of the administration of human resources. It can be argued that the humanization policy exists separately from its own guidelines and should move beyond the technical requirements and modes of the production of current subjects. Such arguments highlight the urgent need to revisit the category of the subject within the precarious fields of the management of work. We support the possibility of shifting from encounters that have traditionally been marked by modes of disaffection/disconnection of the other to encounters in which collectives can be anchored within the dialogism defended by Gadamer. A dialogic model could lead to the recognition of different actors within the humanization policy and the recognition of these actors as legitimate subjects.

Da hermenêutica filosófica à hermenêutica da educação

This article is structured on four thematic blocks: presents a basic understanding and introduction to philosophical hermeneutics; contextualize their emergence and contrast; examine specifically the contribution of speculation for Gadamer's philosophical hermeneutics as understanding; and establishes a reflective approach between hermeneutics and education from its comprehensive scope

The Image of a Second Sun: Plato on Poetry, Rhetoric, and the Technē of Mimēsis (review)

Reviewed by: The Image of a Second Sun: Plato on Poetry, Rhetoric, and the Technē of Mimēsis Catalin Partenie Jeff Mitscherling . The Image of a Second Sun: Plato on Poetry, Rhetoric, and the Technē of Mimēsis. Amherst, NY: Humanity Books, 2009. Pp. 468. Cloth, $55.90. There are two main discussions of poetry in Plato's Republic: the first one is in Books II and III, the other in Book X. Their conclusions are not entirely coherent. In Books II and III, only some poetry is considered imitative, and certain forms of it are allowed in the ideal city. In Book X all poetry is considered imitative, and all of it is banned from the city. Jeff Mitscherling's book deals with Plato's criticism of poetry and art. It (i) reviews and discusses the main interpretations of the topic, paying special attention to those of Havelock (who argues that under attack is the Athenian educational system) and Gadamer (who argues the real target are the Sophists and their influence); (ii) discusses the prēPlatonic conception of poetry (Homer, Hesiod, Pindar, etc.); (iii) analyzes Plato's views on poetry in dialogues other than the Republic and (iv) in the Republic; and (v) outlines an aesthetics that, the author argues, can help us better understand Plato's criticism of poetry. The volume also contains indexes of the poets Plato quoted and/or referred to; a special index of passages from Iliad and Odyssey quoted and/or referred to; a review of Plato's quotations of Homer in the Republic; a bibliography; and its own general index. Mitscherling's interpretation may be summarized as follows. Plato distinguishes between dramatic and nondramatic poetry, and his criticism of poetry is directed at the technē of mimēsis, namely at the "widespread, uncritical, and obsessive employment of this technē in all spheres of the cultural and intellectual life of Athens" (74). This view, Mitscherling acknowledges, owes much to Havelock's and Gadamer's interpretations: "These thoughts are not my own—it is only their novel synthesis that is mine" (11). The criticism in Book X should be understood as "an attack on illusionistic art, dramatic poetry, the use of poetry in the schools, and the activity of the Sophists. All of these come under attack precisely because they all have as their foundation, as the necessary condition of their existence, that technē of mimēsis which Plato regarded as indicative of a morally, and thus politically, corrupting force: the tendency toward ethical relativism" (257). In the last chapter, drawing on the phenomenology of Roman Ingarden and the hermeneutics of Gadamer, Mitscherling outlines an aesthetics that, he argues, is consistently Platonic and enables us to understand Plato's criticism of art and poetry. His conclusion is that for Plato, the right enjoyment of art "demands the recognition of the symbolic nature of art, of poetry no less than of the visual arts." Thus, Plato's own allegories and myths "perform essentially the same symbolic function in Plato's dialogues as does the poetic image: they all point to some truth that can be indicated in no other or better way" (302). The work of the inspired poet, not that of the mere imitator, might "serve to undermine ethical relativism by turning the attention of the listener toward universal virtues." The listener, however, should be philosophically educated in order to appreciate the work of the inspired poet. In Plato, Mitscherling concludes, poetry and philosophy are not rivals, but companions: "The philosopher can say nothing about this real world of the Forms, and neither, strictly speaking, can the poet. The poet, however, can point to this world, thus rendering possible the vision of the true, the good, and the real. Heraclitus once wrote that 'education is a second sun to the educated' (DK B 134). It may well be the case that [End Page 371] Plato regarded poetry as the image of such a second sun" (304). But the author does not address the question of why Plato did not say this plainly, if this is what he really thought. If he believed that philosophy and poetry are not at all rivals, but companions, why did...

What is religious education all about? A hermeneutic reappraisal

There has been limited engagement with Gadamer in the pedagogy of English religious education (RE) to date. Currently there remains confusion about the subject matter of RE and the application of the National Framework attainment targets, learning about and learning from. Instrumental justifications of RE are in tension with the desire to defend the specifically religious subject matter of this curriculum area. An application of Gadamer's philosophical hermeneutics identifies religions as the texts rather than the subject matter of RE and offers an opportunity to interpret ‘learning from’ as an ontological condition for any learning in RE, but this can only occur when the subject matter is allowed to be constituted in the hermeneutic event. The desire to defend RE against perceived threats from other curriculum areas is recognised; however it is argued that addressing this by fixing a particular aspect or stratum of reality as the distinctive object of study in RE constrains the possibility of understanding.

Bringing ourselves into view: disclosure as epistemological and ontological production of a lesbian subject

Using Gadamerian hermeneutics as a methodology and feminist philosophical thought as an analytical framework, this study explores understandings of experiences of disclosure of sexual orientation for older 'lesbian' women. The study draws on an interpretative inquiry in which participants theoretically align with sexual identity categories with both an ontological and an epistemological purpose and later move away from or even disassociate from the 'category' (of lesbian). Reflecting on these interpretations, that of the epistemological and the ontological production of a subject, we ask: What does it mean then to say I am a lesbian? This is where a tension exists: how is it that in spite of the incongruencies of what constitutes a lesbian, and the apparent ambiguity of people to name themselves, we continue to act (as health care providers and researchers) as if the category itself is meaningful and stable? A feminist lens provides an inroad to consider sexuality as practices, rather than as fixed identity; practices that are constituted within the discursive, social and material realities of a life as well as within political and ideological systems in which one resides.

Mechanisms, continental approaches, trials, and evolutionary medicine: New work in the philosophy of medicine

Mechanisms, continental approaches, trials, and evolutionary medicine: New work in the philosophy of medicine

Women's experience of becoming caregivers to their ill partners: Gadamerian hermeneutics

The recent morbidity trends in Australia indicate a steep rise in the number of individuals living with chronic illness who rely on the assistance of mostly women carers. Consequently, supporting and promoting carers' health should be a priority to sustain their health, and ensure their ability to provide care to a significant other. This interpretive hermeneutic study explored the lived experience of women during the transition of becoming carers to their male partners with various health conditions. Gadamerian hermeneutics were used to research participants' experiences allowing for interpretations that incorporated understandings of both worlds, those of the researcher and the participants. This negotiation of understandings made it possible to create mutual and new knowledge. The phenomenon 'entering transition' revealed itself as a precarious balance between a sense of loss and coping with the life changing situation. Yearning to preserve that equilibrium, the women did not wish to be considered as carers to their partners but expressed a need for maintaining the cohesiveness of their identity as part of a couple. One of the recommendations arising out of this study is that a different approach is needed to assist nurses and other health professionals to support this specific population of women carers in the community and in hospital settings.

The Inner Word Prior to Language

Hans-Georg Gadamer wants to uphold the inseparability of and language, and so does John Arthos in his new book, The Inner Word in Gadamer's Hermeneutics? Arthos focuses on the Augustinian and Thomistic concept of inner word, verbum interius, only because it looks to be a crucial nodal point linking and the inner workings of the mind, but also because Gadamer himself indicated that his hermeneutical thinking has grown from it as a crucial point of departure (IW 98; cf. 1 ). The importance of this concept and its history is enough to justify a whole book devoted to the interpretation of a single ten page section of Wahrheit und Methode, containing Gadamer's discussion of the inner word (III, 3, B).2 turns out to be a strikingly ambivalent section. includes a paragraph of sharply critical rhetorical questions aimed at Augustine (cf. IW 265f.; TM 381), who gave the West the concept of verbum interius together with the insistence that it does in fact have anything to do with language. It is Greek nor Latin nor of any other tongue, Augustine insists (On the Trinity 15:19), but a word of the intellect alone - precisely without speech! Gadamer quite rightly identifies this as a consequence of Augustine's thoroughly Platonist devaluation of sensible phenomena (IW 249; TM 380), and Arthos comments, part of Augustine's theory is anathema to (IW 250). Arthos's condemnation of Augustine at this point is strikingly, though no doubt inadvertently, ecclesiastical, employing the word anathema, which is the solemn term used for cursing a heretic who preaches a false gospel.3 If philosophical hermeneutics is meant to be good news - in that sense a kind of evangelion or gospel - then it apparently originated with a concept that turned out to be heretical. is all the more interesting that this heresy is represented by the great church father Augustine, who is the fountainhead of Christian orthodoxy in the West as well as the source of the concept of verbum interius. Something interesting and complex is going on here, in Gadamer's text as well as Arthos's. As a first approximation, I'd say what's happening is that Augustine is quite what any of us want him to be. This has been a repeated theme of my own scholarship for years: I'm an Augustine scholar who brings to both Catholic and Protestant theologians the bad news that Augustine isn't quite what they want him to be. Above all, he is more Platonist than anyone really wants him to be, and in that regard Gadamer is in the same boat with the theologians. Distinguishing Sensible and Intelligible Well, what's wrong with Platonism, after all? As Gadamer notes (IW 279; TM 382), describes thinking as an inner conversation of the soul with itself, and the point of this description is precisely to support Plato's contention that thought [dianoia] and speech [logos] are the same.4 This sounds pretty close to the desired unity, even though Gadamer thinks that Plato undoubtedly did consider that the process of thought, if conceived as a dialogue of the soul, itself involves a connection with language (TM 368; cf. IW 280). Nonetheless, you would think that this is closer to the unity of and speech Gadamer is after than the concept of the inner word, which Augustine explicitly denies is the kind of thinking we do when we silently use the words of a particular language. Again, Gadamer is well aware of this, and alludes to the passage where Augustine insists that the inner word is neither uttered [prolativum] in sound nor of in the likeness of sound [cogitativum in similitudine soni].5 The inner word is precisely what seems to have been thinking of, a speaking silently to ourselves in a particular language. has no such connection with sensible sound, even imagined sound. To grasp it, says Augustine, we must understand a word not only before it sounds, but even before the images of its sounds are considered in thought, for this is something that pertains to no language. …

Gadamer's Hermeneutics as the σύνεσις of Listening

Gadamer's Hermeneutics as the σύνεσις of Listening

Gadamer and the Legacy of German Idealism (review)

Reviewed by: Gadamer and the Legacy of German Idealism Christian Lotz Kristin Gjesdal. Gadamer and the Legacy of German Idealism. Modern European Philosophy. Cambridge-New York: Cambridge University Press, 2009. Pp. xvii + 235. Cloth, $90.00. To be sure, Hans-Georg Gadamer's philosophy has received increased attention in recent philosophical debates. For although older confrontations, such as Gadamer's debate with Habermas, have receded in the background, scholars such as John McDowell, Cristina Lafont, Ruth Sonderegger, Albrecht Wellmer, and Günther Figal have revitalized some of Gadamer's main philosophical insights and demonstrated the importance of hermeneutics for contemporary philosophy. In addition, the newly-founded Society for Philosophical Hermeneutics has helped to give this recent attention a new academic forum for fresh and vibrant work on Gadamer. Kristin Gjesdal's book fits neatly into this newly-discovered interest in Gadamer's philosophy, especially since it focuses on important, but less frequently discussed, historical sources of Gadamer's philosophy and their systematic impact on both hermeneutics in general and a theory of interpretation in particular. Gjesdal's book is lucidly written, paying much attention to the underlying arguments that are implied in Gadamer's critical and often reductive accounts of philosophers who belong to the tradition of "German Idealism." However, having said this, the title of her book is misleading: though the reader might expect an extensive discussion of Fichte, Schelling, and Hegel, the author focuses mainly on the sources of Gadamer's thinking in Kant and Schleiermacher, and only to a much smaller extent on Hegel. Moreover, Gjesdal's style is thoroughly critical, which is especially visible in the last part of the book, where she argues that Schleiermacher's version of hermeneutics is able to correct some of Gadamer's misgivings. [End Page 131] The book is divided into six chapters, the first three of which deal mainly with Gadamer's appropriation of aesthetics and his philosophy of art as a paradigm for his theory of understanding. Chapter 4 deals with Gadamer's relationship to Hegel; chapters 5 and 6 with Schleiermacher. The last chapters offer a partly destructive critique of Gadamer, especially his understanding of Schleiermacher. Gjesdal argues that Gadamer's attempt to reduce "the standard of validity in interpretation to a quasi-Cartesian, formalist type of rationality" fails, and thus she rejects Gadamer's claim "that the reference to individuality is simply another configuration of aesthetic consciousness" (171). Accordingly, the author tries to correct Gadamer's hermeneutics by re-introducing a "critical-reflective attitude, appealing to standards of validity" (183). It is fascinating to see how the author "rediscovers" this point, previously made by Habermas and Apel in early debates with Gadamer, from the perspective of Schleiermacher's hermeneutics. In this way, she follows in the footsteps of Manfred Frank's work on Schleiermacher by offering a critical standpoint for a hermeneutic theory of interpretation attacking Gadamer's claim that hermeneutical experience is identical with historical self-transformation (185). Schleiermacher's hermeneutics is superior to Gadamer's theory, according to Gjesdal, because it enables us to see the "normativity in understanding" (199) and because it offers a standpoint from which the transgressive and rational nature of understanding can be understood. As a consequence, Gadamer's "aestheticising model of understanding" should be corrected, according to the author. This thesis makes her approach to Gadamer especially attractive to contemporary Anglo-American philosophy, particularly if it is open to European philosophy. According to the author, because of his misappropriation of Romantic philosophy and Romantic aesthetics (though she never refers to early Romantic aesthetics in Schlegel and Hölderlin), Gadamer also fails to offer an understanding of modern art. Gjesdal argues for this claim by pointing to Gadamer's critique of the modern museum as art without a world and as alienated "aesthetic consciousness." As she argues, Gadamer's return to the unifying force of art as world disclosure, and his rejection of modern aesthetics, does not seem to offer much help in understanding the modernity of art (80). However, although she briefly points to Adorno's and Benjamin's aesthetics and gives a brief sketch of Gadamer's (mis)appropriation of Celan, her discussion of this important aspect ultimately...

“The Fullness of Understanding”?

Hans-Georg Gadamer publicly acknowledged Jean Grondin on more than one occasion for having elevated an overlooked and recondite idea that introduces of famous ontological turn in Truth and Method. The dense ten pages entitled Sprache und (Language and verbum) describe theological encounter with Greek logos as an event that prevented forgetfulness of language in Western thought from being and provided Gadamer strong ally against still-entrenched cultural view of language as tool of conveyance for preconceived meanings. Gadamer himself had brought his interest in topic to Grondin's attention when he remarked off-handedly that inner word was basis of hermeneutic universality. Grondin subsequently used claim as thematic springboard for his interpretation of Gadamerian hermeneutics.1 Although some hermeneutic scholars picked up on theme as useful heuristic for getting at hermeneutic ontology of language, note of critical caution emerged in scholarly discussion in mid-90s, and Grondin himself backed away somewhat from centrality of verbum for philosophical hermeneutics. Since then interest in theme seemed to die down in philosophical circles.2 It was thus striking coincidence that two book-length studies devoted to topic should have come out within weeks of each other in summer of 2009, one in United States and one in Germany, with virtually same title: Mirela Oliva's Das innere Verbum in Gadamers Hermeneutik, and my The Inner Word in Gadamer's Hermeneutics.3 Both monographs took as their singular subject matter same ten pages of Gadamer's magnum opus. The basic structure of two books was likewise same, first half treating history of concept of inner word, and second half interpreting Gadamer's appropriation of idea.4 In wake of this renewed attention, it is still case that meaning and significance of Gadamer's inner word is contested subject. In 2006, for instance, prominent Gadamer scholar Gunter Figal wrote forceful indictment of Gadamer's appropriation of inner word that was published in The Cambridge Companion to Gadamer. This critique has remained, to my knowledge, unanswered. Because both Oliva's and my monographs were focused on Gadamer's text and did not treat in depth scholarly reception history of Gadamer's verbum, I would like to walk through major critical challenges that have surfaced and say where I think conversation stands right now. My own conclusion will be that I think we are still misunderstanding and missing important consequences of Gadamer's allegiance to idea of inner word. We must first briefly recall what verbum interius refers to. In his major work on Christian idea of Trinity, labor of fifteen years, Augustine struggled to find way to talk about doctrinal mystery of three persons in one God. He hit upon an analogy drawn from Stoic theory of language. Just as logos endiathetos, which is always already word, is seed of logos prophorikos. or spoken word that lives among us, so son proceeds from father as flesh of his flesh. Just as word that comes from thought is a word which is absolutely same kind ofthing as knowledge it is from, so is father perfect and complete, even when he gives himself entirely in love to his son. There is no loss, but only gain.5 Given direction of Western theories of language after and before, it is understandable why Gadamer would be struck by conception of language that described a true word from true thing, having nothing from itself, but everything from that knowledge from which it is born (413). What must be in mind is that direction of Augustine's analogy is principally from human language to divine identity rather than reverse. The strong correspondences between the word of man and the Word of God helped Augustine connect immanent and transcendent Trinity, and not reverse. …

Philosophical Approaches to the Nursing Informatics Data-Information-Knowledge-Wisdom Framework

Although informatics is an important area of nursing inquiry and practice, few scholars have articulated the philosophical foundations of the field or how these translate into practice including the often-cited data, information, knowledge, and wisdom (DIKW) framework. Data, information, and knowledge, often approached through postpositivism, can be exhibited in computer systems. Wisdom aligns with constructivist epistemological perspectives such as Gadamerian hermeneutics. Computer systems can support wisdom development. Wisdom is an important element of the DIKW framework and adds value to the role of nursing informaticists and nursing science.

O encontro com a morte: à procura do mestre Quíron na formação médica

Este estudo tem como objetivo compreender como a formação médica lida com o processo de morte de um paciente, e o que os estudantes desejam e sugerem em relação ao tema. Trata-se de estudo qualitativo, baseado na narrativa de estudantes e residentes de Medicina da Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte. A Fenomenologia Existencial, a Hermenêutica Gadameriana e a Teoria da Ação Comunicativa, de Habermas, constituem a base filosófica do trabalho de produção e interpretação das narrativas. Foram combinadas duas estratégias tecno-metodológicas: entrevistas em profundidade e oficinas com utilização de "cenas" projetivas. Os estudantes e residentes transitam entre escassos modelos e poucas experiências pessoais no lidar com a morte de pacientes. O mito de Quíron traduz a procura dos entrevistados por modelos conceituais capazes de ajudá-los a manejar suas vulnerabilidades e desenvolver seus potenciais

"Ihr Hinweis auf Aristophanes Clouds Wichtige Fragen Einschließt, die Ich Hätte Sehen Sollen": Gadamer and the Question of Comedy

In a letter written to Gadamer after receiving a copy of Truth and Method, Leo Strauss offered many criticisms with which Gadamer took issue. However, he acknowledged the important hint cited in the title. Perhaps strangely, Gadamer never took up this hint and showed very little interest in comedy throughout his Gesammelte Schriften. In this essay, I show that there are ample resources within Gadamerian hermeneutics to answer Strauss positively, also for a rich philosophy of comedy along Gadamerian lines. Toward that end, I use Gadamer's Aristotelian view of tragedy as a clue; interpretations of play, excess and delight (Ergötzen) also weave into the analyses.

The Meaning of Work for Black African Immigrant Adult College Students

The purpose of this study is to explore the meaning of work for Black, sub-Saharan African immigrant adult students pursuing a 4-year college degree. Career development practitioners are in a unique position to help these students make significant life-career decisions. Seven students enrolled at an urban university located in the Midwest were interviewed. Emphasis was placed on sociocultural, historical, political, and other contextual factors that affected life-work choices. Work was viewed holistically as a combination of both paid and unpaid roles. Work narratives were collected and interpreted using Gadamerian hermeneutics grounded in a constructivism paradigm. An analysis of narrative approach was used. Three main findings emerged as themes: Meaning of work was shaped by contextual factors; work experiences were closely connected to family and community; and students’ identities and work roles evolved over time. Theoretical implications and practical strategies for career counselors, with a focus on social justice, are discussed.

The Inner World in Gadamer's Hermeneutics (review)

The Inner World in Gadamer's Hermeneutics (review)

Is Gadamer's Hermeneutics Inherently Conservative?

According to two critics, Georgia Warnke and John Caputo, Gadamer's hermeneutics is inherently “conservative” insofar as he appeals to tradition as a constituent in understanding. They insist that he simply preserves the ideals, norms and values of the Western metaphysical tradition without critically examining them. I do not agree and will argue that views like this depend upon several false assumptions—for example, that Gadamer reifies the text as a “thing-in-itself” (Sache selbst) and remains trapped in subjectivism. I will begin by examining some of the ways in which these charges might be warranted before proceeding to defend him.

Through the Lens of Modern Hermeneutics: Authorial Intention in al-Ṭabarī's and al-Ghazālī's Interpretations of Q. 24:35

The article explores the meaning of Q. 24∶35 (the ‘Light Verse’) through the interpretations of al-Ṭabarī and al-Ghazālī, and with reference to their respective hermeneutics and interpretive methods, which are compared to modern hermeneutical debate. The central argument is that the methodologies of al-Ṭabarī and al-Ghazālī are in line with the modern hermeneutical position that a text's meaning is what its author intended to communicate (E.D. Hirsch, Jr), as opposed to what its interpreter makes of it (H-G. Gadamer). A medieval Islamic equivalent to Gadamer's hermeneutics can be found in Ismāʿīlī exegesis, which is methodologically opposed to that of al-Ṭabarī and, also, al-Ghazālī. It is suggested that Q. 24∶35 itself is a statement of the hermeneutics of ‘authorial intention’, which implies that the Qur'an's meaning is what God intended to communicate, and the meaning of the term taʾwīl is reassessed in terms of its meaning, literally, ‘to retrieve God's intended meaning from interpretation’. On a secondary level, by exploring the hermeneutics of these two scholars and comparing this with modern hermeneutics, the study offers a critique of a recent reading of Ashʿarī theory of language and interpretation, and its political implications.