Hermeneutics Flashcards
1
Q
What is Hermeneutics; where does it come from?
A
Interpretation. Understanding. Not just knowledge but deeper, context dependent. Language but also all of human activity. Some philosophers focus on existential aspect - understanding something very important to us (Heidegger). Plato - about self-understanding, self-knowledge and morality. Ancients thought poetry, arts etc more important than much else because taught universal truths that history did not necessarily. This has been lost. Rhetoric also good for advancing understanding but they acknowledged could have dark side. Hermeneutics comes from greek word but not Hermes (although he is a good symbol as messenger).
