The Inner Word in Gadamer's Hermeneutics

The Inner Word in Gadamer's Hermeneutics PDF Author: John Arthos
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Bibles
Languages : en
Pages : 488

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Book Description
Late in his life, Hans-Georg Gadamer was asked to explain what the universal aspect of hermeneutics consisted in, and he replied, enigmatically, "in the verbum interius." Gadamer devoted a pivotal section of his magnum opus, Truth and Method, to this Augustinian concept, and subsequently pointed to it as a kind of passkey to his thought. It remains, however, both in its origins and its interpretations, a mysterious concept. From out of its layered history, it remains a provocation to thought, expressing something about the relation of language and understanding that has yet to be fully worked out. The scholastic idea of a word that is fully formed in the mind but not articulated served Augustine as an analogy for the procession of the Trinity, and served Thomas Aquinas as an analogy for the procession between divine ideas and human thought. Gadamer turned the analogy on its head by using the verbum interius to explain the obscure relation between language and human understanding. His learned interpretation of the idea of the inner word through Neoplatonism, Lutheranism, idealism, and historicism may seem nearly as complex as the medieval source texts he consulted and construed in his exegesis, but the profoundity of his insights are unquestioned. In unpacking Gadamer's interpretive feat, John Arthos provides an overview of the philosophy of the logos out of which the verbum interius emerged. He summarizes the development of the verbum in ancient and medieval doctrine, traces its path through German thought, and explains its relevance to modern hermeneutic theory. His work unfolds in two parts, as an expansive intellectual history and as a close analysis and commentary on source texts on the inner word, from Augustine to Gadamer. As such, this book serves as an indispensable guide and reference for hermeneutics and the intellectual traditions out of which it arose, as well as an original theoretical statement in its own right. "Consummately researched, lucidly written, and persuasively argued throughout, The Inner Word succeeds brilliantly in bringing to light this neglected but pivotal matter in Gadamer's work. Arthos is learned in the best 'humanist' way, for he succeeds in creating something new of his own that will speak eloquently to all of us." --Walter Jost, University of Virginia "Gadamer suggests that the Christian idea of incarnation is a key to his hermeneutics, but does not explain his position in a detailed or systematic manner. Arthos brings his considerable knowledge of hermeneutics and rhetoric to bear on Gadamer's insight, recounting the rich intellectual history to which Gadamer gestures, and providing an extended and detailed exegesis of this pivotal point in the third part of Truth and Method. Gadamer's account of 'linguisticality,' Arthos explains, can best be understood through his use of a complex metaphor--the 'inner word.' Arthos matches his erudition with clear and clean prose, and his account exemplifies, rather than just describes, Gadamer's hermeneutical philosophy. Any scholar interested in Gadamer's philosophy should have this book on his or her shelf." --Francis J. Mootz III, William S. Boyd Professor of Law, William S. Boyd School of Law "Arthos's strength lies for me in his careful reading of the sources. He effectively commands the literature on the subject. This work shows in a sophisticated way the legacy of trinitarian theology for philosophical hermeneutics. The very complex task of illuminating the phenomenon of the verbum interius and indicating its centrality for philosophical hermeneutics is accomplished by John Arthos with great sensitivity to the subject matter." --Andrzej Wiercinski, The International Institute for Hermeneutics

Gadamer’s Hermeneutics

Gadamer’s Hermeneutics PDF Author: Robert J. Dostal
Publisher: Northwestern University Press
ISBN: 0810144522
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 447

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Book Description
In Gadamer’s Hermeneutics Robert J. Dostal provides a comprehensive and critical account of Hans-Georg Gadamer’s hermeneutical philosophy, arguing that Gadamer’s enterprise is rooted in the thesis that “being that can be understood is language.” He defends Gadamer against charges of linguistic idealism and emphasizes language’s relationship to understanding, though he criticizes Gadamer for too often ignoring the role of the prelinguistic in our experience. Dostal goes on to explain the concept of the "inner word" for Gadamer’s account of language. The book situates Gadamer’s hermeneutics in three important ways: in relation to the contestability of the legacy of the Enlightenment project; in relation to the work of his mentor, Martin Heidegger; and in relation to Gadamer’s reading of Plato and Aristotle. Dostal explores both Gadamer’s claim on the Enlightenment and his ambivalence toward it. He considers Gadamer’s dependence on Heidegger’s accomplishment while pointing out the ways in which Gadamer charted his own course, rejecting his teacher’s reading of Plato and his antihumanism. Dostal points out notable differences in the philosophers’ politics as well. Finally, Dostal mediates between Gadamer’s hermeneutics and what might be called philological hermeneutics. His analysis defends the civic humanism that is the culmination of the philosopher’s hermeneutics, a humanism defined by moral education, common sense, judgment, and taste. Supporters and critics of Gadamer’s philosophy will learn much from this major achievement.

Language and Linguisticality in Gadamer's Hermeneutics

Language and Linguisticality in Gadamer's Hermeneutics PDF Author: Hans-Georg Gadamer
Publisher: Lexington Books
ISBN: 9780739101759
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 214

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Book Description
In this book, internationally recognized scholars in philosophical hermeneutics discuss various aspects of language and linguisticality. The translations of Hans-Georg Gadamer's two recent essays provoke a preliminary discussion on the philosopher's polemic claim in Truth and Method--"Being that can be understood is language." Topics addressed by the contributors include the relationship of rituals to tradition and the immemorial; the unity of the word; conversation; translation and conceptuality; and the interrelationship between the art of writing and linguisticality. This work is of critical importance to anyone interested in Gadamer's claims regarding the boundaries of language, the transition from the prelinguistic to linguistic realms, and the role of rituals in this transition.

Introduction to Philosophical Hermeneutics

Introduction to Philosophical Hermeneutics PDF Author: Jean Grondin
Publisher: Yale University Press
ISBN: 9780300070897
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 260

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Book Description
In this wide-ranging historical introduction to philosophical hermeneutics, Jean Grondin discusses the major figures from Philo to Habermas, analyzes conflicts between various interpretive schools, and provides a persuasive critique of Gadamer's view of hermeneutic history, though in other ways Gadamer's Truth and Method serves as a model for Grondin's approach. Grondin begins with brief overviews of the pre-nineteenth-century thinkers Philo, Origen, Augustine, Luther, Flacius, Dannhauer, Chladenius, Meier, Rambach, Ast, and Schlegel. Next he provides more extensive treatments of such major nineteenth-century figures as Schleiermacher, Böckh, Droysen, and Dilthey. There are full chapters devoted to Heidegger and Gadamer as well as shorter discussions of Betti, Habermas, and Derrida. Because he is the first to pay close attention to pre-Romantic figures, Grondin is able to show that the history of hermeneutics cannot be viewed as a gradual, steady progression in the direction of complete universalization. His book makes it clear that even in the early period, hermeneutic thinkers acknowledged a universal aspect in interpretation--that long before Schleiermacher, hermeneutics was philosophical and not merely practical. In revising and correcting the standard account, Grondin's book is not merely introductory but revisionary, suitable for beginners as well as advanced students in the field.

The Inner Voice in Gadamer's Hermeneutics

The Inner Voice in Gadamer's Hermeneutics PDF Author: Andrew Fuyarchuk
Publisher: Lexington Books
ISBN: 1498547060
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 276

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Book Description
This book addresses the alleged divide between the humanities and sciences. Rather than bridging the divide from the side of the sciences and phenomenology, Andrew Fuyarchuk proposes to close the distance with Gadamer’s hermeneutics, liberating the inner word from the theological paradigms and rethinking it in terms of a phenomenology of the senses and cognitive and evolutionary sciences.

Hermeneutics: A Very Short Introduction

Hermeneutics: A Very Short Introduction PDF Author: Jens Zimmermann
Publisher: OUP Oxford
ISBN: 0191508535
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 144

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Book Description
Hermeneutics is the branch of knowledge that deals with interpretation, a behaviour that is intrinsic to our daily lives. As humans, we decipher the meaning of newspaper articles, books, legal matters, religious texts, political speeches, emails, and even dinner conversations every day . But how is knowledge mediated through these forms? What constitutes the process of interpretation? And how do we draw meaning from the world around us so that we might understand our position in it? In this Very Short Introduction Jens Zimmermann traces the history of hermeneutic theory, setting out its key elements, and demonstrating how they can be applied to a broad range of disciplines: theology; literature; law; and natural and social sciences. Demonstrating the longstanding and wide-ranging necessity of interpretation, Zimmermann reveals its significance in our current social and political landscape. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

The Life of Understanding

The Life of Understanding PDF Author: James Risser
Publisher: Indiana University Press
ISBN: 0253002192
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 153

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Book Description
In Gadamer's hermeneutics, interpretation is inseparable from the broader concern of making one's way in life. In this book, James Risser builds on this insight about the juxtaposition of human living and the act of understanding by tracing hermeneutics back to the basic experience of philosophy as defined by Plato. For Risser, Plato provides resources for new directions in hermeneutics and new possibilities for "the life of understanding" and "the understanding of life." Risser places Gadamer in dialogue with Plato, with the issue of memory as a conceptual focus. He develops themes pertaining to hermeneutics such as retrieval as a matter of convalescence, exile as a venture into the foreign, formation with respect to oneself and to life with others, the experience of language in hermeneutics, and the relationship between speaking and writing.

Philosophical Hermeneutics

Philosophical Hermeneutics PDF Author: Hans-Georg Gadamer
Publisher: Univ of California Press
ISBN: 9780520034754
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 306

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Book Description
'This volume presents carefully selected essays from Gadamer's Kleine Schriften. The seven essays comprising Part 1 contain Gadamer's discussion of hermeneutical reflection. Part 2 consists of six essays dealing with phenomenology, existential philosophy, and philosophical hermeneutics.

The Hermeneutics of Translation

The Hermeneutics of Translation PDF Author: Beata Piecychna
Publisher: Peter Lang Gmbh, Internationaler Verlag Der Wissenschaften
ISBN: 9783631825921
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 268

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Book Description
This is the first monograph to examine the notion of a translator's competence from the perspective of Gadamerian hermeneutics. The study's main objective is to depict different conceptualizations of translation as based on Hans-Georg Gadamer's philosophy of understanding and also to develop a theory of a translator's hermeneutic competences....

Augustine's Invention of the Inner Self

Augustine's Invention of the Inner Self PDF Author: Phillip Cary
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN: 019515861X
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 233

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Book Description
Phillip Cary argues that Augustine invented the concept of the self as a private inner space - a space into which one can enter and in which one can find God. This study pinpoints what was new about his philosophy of inwardness and situates it within a narrative of his intellectual development and relationship to the Platonist tradition.