Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Understanding Hermeneutics

In order to understand hermeneutics we look first at the many ways we can bring about interpretations. Hermeneutics is characterized by interpretation, but it is essentially the interpretation of interpretation. Whenever we interpret something, the key element that is required is difference. By realizing that your interpretations of something can change over time you begin to see that there is something there that is not the same as you. Because of this hermeneutics also deals with bringing about an experience through which you can begin to understand yourself better. It is this interpretation with experience that enables a text to be interpreted in such a way. When we read we are in fact undergoing an experience with the text in such a way that that experience brings about an interpretation. Hermeneutics seems to be a way in order to understand how this understanding is made possible. We may begin to realize that our previous readings of the text were inaccurate since they didn't contain the current undergone experience. "When we understand ourselves differentely we 'move on'(8)." What we then learn is not the text itself but what is behind the text that makes such a relationship with it possible.

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