Hermeneutics_QnA_Module Flashcards
What is a symbolic universe, and how does it influence interpretation?
A symbolic universe refers to the cultural and linguistic framework into which individuals are inducted from childhood. It shapes our pre-understanding of the things we interpret by providing a shared context of meaning.
How does hermeneutics challenge the traditional opposition between objective truth and subjective opinion?
Hermeneutics rejects the simplistic dichotomy of impartial objective truth versus subjective opinion. It acknowledges that even scientists now question this opposition and suggests a participatory view of knowledge beyond objectivism and relativism.
What does it mean to attain knowledge through participation, according to hermeneutic thinkers?
Understanding requires active engagement. Knowledge is seen as akin to playing a game rather than spectating; one must be deeply involved to comprehend fully, acknowledging the role of personal and cultural context.
Does acknowledging personal engagement in knowledge lead to relativism?
No, recognising the personal and contextual nature of knowledge does not equate to relativism. Hermeneutics maintains that universal human conditions allow for shared understanding across cultures and languages.
How did ancient thinkers conceptualise the connection between knowledge and the universe?
Ancient philosophers believed the cosmos was inherently rational, and human language and reasoning reflected its order. The Greek concept of Logos encapsulated this idea, suggesting that human words could mirror universal truths.
What role did the concept of Logos play in early interpretations of knowledge?
Logos represented the rational structure of the universe and was equated with divine power by Jewish theologians. In Christianity, it became associated with Christ as the eternal wisdom of God, reinforcing Europe’s interpretive culture.
How did the link between the human mind and the world evolve from the ancient to the modern era?
Ancient knowledge was unified, grounded in a meaningful cosmos. From the 14th century, the mind-world link eroded, creating divides like science versus religion and reshaping knowledge conversations.
What was the impact of Descartes’s foundationalism on philosophy and hermeneutics?
Descartes’s foundationalism prioritised rational certainty by separating the mind from the world, redefining objective knowledge as unbiased fact while challenging the understanding of others’ perspectives.
How did Schleiermacher address the breach between mind and world?
Schleiermacher proposed a general hermeneutic—a universal theory of understanding—emphasising the interconnectedness of human understanding and the role of language and context in interpretation. He was one of the first to move the existing understanding of the role of the partial and the whole from textual interpretation into human existence as a whole. One of first to move towards ontology.
What was Schleiermacher’s “feeling of absolute dependence”?
Schleiermacher described a “feeling of absolute dependence” as the awareness that all knowledge stems from a unifying ground of reality, often linked to God-consciousness, bridging science, religion, and art.
How did Wilhelm Dilthey’s approach to hermeneutics differ from Schleiermacher’s?
Dilthey shifted focus to the human spirit, arguing life experience, not abstract rationalism or empirical science, underpins understanding. He highlighted the historical and cultural context of knowledge.
How did Dilthey redefine objectivity in the human sciences?
Dilthey proposed that objectivity arises from analysing cultural expressions rather than entering another’s mind. For example, understanding historical figures requires situating them within societal and cultural contexts.
What is the historicity of human existence, according to Dilthey?
Dilthey asserted that human existence is inherently historical. We understand ourselves through interpreting cultural heritage and historical context, which shape and limit our perspectives.
How did the conversation about knowledge shift from epistemology to ontology in modern hermeneutics?
Modern hermeneutics shifted focus to ontological questions about what it means to be beings who understand, emphasising the interplay between language, culture, and history in shaping understanding.
