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Single Idea 5439

[filed under theme 1. Philosophy / H. Continental Philosophy / 3. Hermeneutics ]

Full Idea

The 'hermeneutic circle' consists in the fact that an interpretation of part of a text requires a prior understanding of the whole, and the interpretation of the whole requires a prior understanding of its parts.

Gist of Idea

The 'hermeneutic circle' says parts and wholes are interdependent, and so cannot be interpreted

Source

Thomas Mautner (Penguin Dictionary of Philosophy [1996], p.247)

Book Ref

Mautner,Thomas: 'Dictionary of Philosophy' [Penguin 1997], p.247

A Reaction

This strikes me as a benign circle, solved the way Aristotle solves the good man/good action circle. You make a start somewhere, like a child learning to speak, and work your way into the circle. Not really a problem.

The 15 ideas with the same theme [seeking rhetorical explanation instead of hard facts]:

5435 An interpreter of a text, because of wider knowledge, can understand it better than its author [Schleiermacher, by Mautner]
22028 Unity emerges from understanding particulars, so understanding is prior to seeing unity [Schleiermacher]
5437 The claim of hermeneutics to give knowledge through understanding is challenged by positivism [Mautner on Dilthey]
24147 Thoughts are uncertain, and are just occasions for interpretation [Nietzsche]
23212 A text has many interpretations, but no 'correct' one [Nietzsche]
23075 A text explained ceases to be a text [Cioran]
21892 Interpretations can be interpreted, so there is no original 'meaning' available [Derrida]
5438 Hermeneutics of tradition is sympathetic, hermeneutics of suspicion is hostile [Ricoeur, by Mautner]
20925 Hermeneutics blunts truth, by conforming it to the interpreter [Derrida, by Zimmermann,J]
20934 Hermeneutics is hostile, trying to overcome the other person's difference [Derrida, by Zimmermann,J]
5439 The 'hermeneutic circle' says parts and wholes are interdependent, and so cannot be interpreted [Mautner]
15575 Knowledge is not a static set of correct propositions, but a continuing search for better interpretations [Polt]
23449 Interpreting a text is representing it as making sense [Morris,M]
23408 The hermeneutic circle is either within the text, or between text and biased reader [Norden]
23407 Heremeneutics is either 'faith' (examining truth) or 'suspicion' (looking for hidden motives) [Norden]