What is Hermeneutics?
‘Hermeneutics’ is an ancient topic whose philosophical outlines have evolved through time. In a broad sense, hermeneutics can be defined simply as ‘interpretation,’ ‘the art of interpreting,’ or ‘the study of interpretation.’ These definitions, however, beg the question: ‘what is interpretation?’ To answer this question, we must first understand the origins of hermeneutics and the many forms it has taken throughout history. In other words, we must look at the different interpretations of what ‘interpretation’ is. If this seems like a circular endeavour, we need not be concerned, for as we shall see, that is the very nature of interpretation. Here, I will present an overview of the history of hermeneutics, including where it came from, what it means, and how different thinkers have conceived it.
Antiquity
Hermeneutics can be traced all the way back to Greek antiquity. ‘Interpretation,’ as a disciplinary practice, was important to Hellenistic education, as practiced at the School of Alexandria, and afterwards had a major role in the theology of the Middle Ages and Christian culture.
So-called ‘Logios Hermes’ (Hermes Orator). Marble, Roman copy from the late 1st century CE-early 2nd century CE after a Greek original of the 5th century BC. (Original photo by Marie-Lan Nguyen).
If we look at its etymological roots, we can see that the name ‘hermeneutics’ comes from the Greek word hermeneuein (which means ‘to interpret’) and the noun hermeneia (interpretation).
“Traced back to their earliest known root words in Greek, the origins of the modern words ‘hermeneutics’ and ‘hermeneutical’ suggest the process of ‘bringing to understanding,’ especially as this process involves language, since language is the medium par excellence in the process.” (Palmer, 1969, p.13).
These and other related terms appear in ancient texts by Aristotle, Plato, Xenophon, Plutarch, Euripides, Epicurus, Lucretius, and Longinus, and are closely associated with the messenger-god Hermes, whose function as the translator of the gods was that “of transmuting what is beyond human understanding into a form that human intelligence can grasp.” (Palmer, 1969, p.13).
As Palmer (1969) points out, the process of hermeneia, of “rendering comprehensible,” can be said to have three different, but closely related meanings:
-
Hermeneuein as an “announcing” function – saying, expressing, affirming, proclaiming. “Even simply saying, asserting, or proclaiming is an important act of ‘interpretation’” (p.15).
-
Hermeneuein as explanation – “points to the explanatory rather than expressive dimensions of interpretation.” (p.20). Words clarify and explain something, and this should be recognized as an …
Read the full article which is published on Daily Philosophy (external link)
