Single Idea 23408

[catalogued under 1. Philosophy / H. Continental Philosophy / 3. Hermeneutics]

Full Idea

The first type of hermeneutic circle operates inside the text, studying relationships between sentences. …The second type is between the text and the reader, …who brings assumptions about what it means.

Gist of Idea

The hermeneutic circle is either within the text, or between text and biased reader

Source

Bryan van Norden (Intro to Classical Chinese Philosophy [2011], App A.I)

Book Reference

Norden,Bryan van: 'Intro to Classical Chinese Philosophy' [Hackett 2011], p.228


A Reaction

The first kind is an essential aspect of reading well. Readers are biased, but I get very tired of those who do nothing but search for bias, and ignore the truth a text has to offer. If everything is bias, intellectual life is dead.