Philosophy of Being and Knowledge

Hermeneutics (Philosophy of Understanding)

Fundamental Concepts of Hermeneutics

Hermeneutics is the art of understanding and interpretation. Its history began with the necessity of comprehending sacred scriptures and legal norms. In the 19th century, philosophical hermeneutics emerged, with its founders noting that understanding and interpretation are not merely skills applied to ancient texts but principles governing human interaction with the world. The entire history of philosophical hermeneutics is a continuous endeavor to elucidate how understanding occurs, who and what are involved in this process, and which realms of existence are encompassed by hermeneutical issues.

While ancient hermeneutics focused on textual analysis, within the realm of philosophical hermeneutics, the text remains its central object, though the significance of the text has evolved. The founders of philosophical hermeneutics demonstrated that all of existence is presented to humanity as text or narrative (story, literary work) which must be read and understood. A text consists of written words through which an author attempts to convey meaning to the reader. Similarly, an artistic creation (painting, sculpture, etc.) is also a text through which the artist communicates certain content to the viewer. Human clothing serves as a highly informative text: by the way one dresses, one can sometimes communicate more than through words. Clothing can indicate affiliation with a particular culture or organization (embroidery, military uniform), express respect or disrespect (adherence to or disregard for dress codes), assert one's position (Muslim hijab), or signal protest (attire of subcultures), among other things. Nature itself is a text to be read and understood. Renaissance scholars believed that God wrote the book of nature in the language of mathematics, and it is up to scientists to read this book. Social relations are also a type of text written by a particular nation or by all humanity throughout history. To understand social relations, one must interpret the foundations upon which that society is built. Economic reality is likewise a text that must be understood and properly interpreted. Mental processes are also a text that conveys information; it must be correctly understood and interpreted. Everything that a person encounters is a text in the broadest sense of the term. Hence, hermeneutics is a universal theory of understanding and interpretation, applying to all aspects of human experience throughout life.

The study of hermeneutical issues within philosophical hermeneutics has led to the identification of several basic principles foundational to understanding and interpretation:

• The Hermeneutic Circle: This is a conceptual explanation of the interdependence of the whole and the part in the context of understanding. To comprehend a narrative, one must understand the context in which it was formed and the entire structure within which it appeared. Conversely, to understand the holistic system, one must grasp each of its elements. For instance, to understand ancient Greek poetry, one needs to be familiar with the fundamentals of ancient Greek culture. It is impossible to understand a poem or drama about Apollo without at least a superficial knowledge of Greek mythology. Likewise, it is impossible to know Greek mythology without reading Greek myths and related poetry. The same principle applies to understanding specific economic processes without knowing the general economic theory, and vice versa. This applies to any domain of human interaction with reality. The mutual influence of understanding the whole and the part, i.e., the impossibility of understanding the whole without understanding the part and the impossibility of understanding the part without understanding the whole, is known as the hermeneutic circle. This circle is unbreakable. It is a universal principle of understanding and interpretation. However, knowledge of the hermeneutic circle helps to trace the nuances of understanding and to apply this principle in practice. Specifically, in the context of learning, it follows from the hermeneutic circle that it is impossible to study only isolated practical cases without a general theory, just as one cannot focus solely on theory without considering real instances of its practical application. For example, an economist studying financial operations without understanding the general theory of money, justifying this by saying that only practical skills are needed and that time spent on theoretical study is unnecessary, will lack both practical skills and theoretical knowledge. This applies to any field of knowledge. Learning focused solely on practical skills is ineffective. This is why in countries with advanced economies, political and legal systems, and developed democracies, educational programs emphasize a deep understanding of general theory and the study of primary sources. But the other extreme, i.e., focusing exclusively on theory without considering its practical application, will render the theory disconnected from life. Practice and experience are the only means to test theory, enhance the credibility of true theories, and reject false ones.
• Every participant in a hermeneutic situation, whether they are creating a text for others to understand or interpreting a text written by others, does so to the extent allowed by their knowledge. No one can write a text in Chinese without knowing the Chinese language; likewise, no one can understand a text written in Chinese without knowing Chinese. An author can only write a text in a language they know, and a reader can only read a text written in a language they understand. If we broaden the concept of language to include any means of communication, this rule applies to everything. For instance, if a person lacking economic education and understanding reads a financial report of a large company or a state budget, they will likely understand little. The reason for this limited comprehension is that the reader is unfamiliar with the specific language of economists. The same applies to reading laws, mathematical formulas, etc. But this also pertains to texts in the broadest sense of the word: a natural scientist with the appropriate education, i.e., someone who has learned the language of nature, can read the book of nature; similarly, only a physician, i.e., someone who has learned the language of the human body, can interpret the processes occurring within it. If everyone could understand everything, there would be no need for scientists, doctors, psychologists, lawyers, financial consultants, and other specialists. Hermeneutics is the art of understanding and interpretation. Its history began with the need to comprehend sacred writings and legal norms. In the 19th century, philosophical hermeneutics emerged, founded on the recognition that understanding and interpretation are not merely arts applied to ancient texts but principles of human interaction with the world. The entire history of philosophical hermeneutics represents a continuous effort to elucidate how understanding occurs, who and what participates in it, and the realms of existence that the hermeneutic problem encompasses.

While ancient hermeneutics was concerned primarily with texts, in philosophical hermeneutics, the text remains its central subject, though the very meaning of the text evolves. The founders of philosophical hermeneutics demonstrated that all being is presented to humans as text or narrative (a story, a literary work that one must read and understand). A text consists of written words through which the author seeks to convey a certain meaning to the reader. Similarly, an artistic creation (a painting, sculpture, etc.) is a text through which the artist communicates meaning to the viewer. Human clothing is a highly informative text: how one dresses can sometimes speak louder than words. Through clothing, one can signify affiliation with a particular culture or organization (embroidered shirts, military uniforms), express respect or disrespect (adhering to or ignoring dress codes), declare one's position (Muslim hijabs), or protest (attire of subcultures), among other things. Nature itself is also a text to be read and understood. Renaissance scholars believed that God wrote the book of nature in the language of mathematics, and scientists are to read this book. Social relations are also a text written by a particular people or humanity as a whole throughout history. To understand social relations, one must read the foundations upon which that society is built. Economic reality is also a text that needs to be understood and interpreted correctly. Psychological processes are also texts conveying information about something; they must be understood and interpreted accurately. Everything with which a person interacts is a text in the broadest sense of the term. Hence, hermeneutics is a universal theory of understanding and interpretation that touches upon everything a person encounters throughout their life.

The study of the hermeneutic problem within philosophical hermeneutics has enabled the identification of several fundamental principles underpinning understanding and interpretation:

• The Hermeneutic Circle is a conditional explanation of the interdependence of the whole and the part in the context of understanding. To comprehend a narrative, one must understand the context of its formation and the entire structure within which it appeared. Conversely, to understand a holistic system, one must grasp each of its components. For example, to understand ancient Greek poetry, one must know the basics of ancient Greek culture. It is impossible to understand a poem or drama depicting Apollo without at least a superficial knowledge of Greek mythology. At the same time, it is impossible to know Greek mythology without reading Greek myths and associated poetry. The same applies to economic processes; one cannot understand individual economic phenomena without understanding general economic theory, nor can one grasp the general economic theory without studying specific economic processes. This applies to any sphere of human contact with reality. The interplay of understanding the whole and the part, that is, the impossibility of understanding the whole without understanding the part, and vice versa, is termed the hermeneutic circle. This circle cannot be broken. It is a universal principle of understanding and interpretation. However, understanding the hermeneutic circle helps trace the peculiarities of comprehension and apply this principle in practice. For instance, in the context of learning, the hermeneutic circle implies that one cannot study only isolated practical cases without a general theory, nor can one focus solely on theory without considering real cases of its practical application. For example, an economist who studies financial transactions without understanding the general theory of money, justifying that practical skills are all that are needed and not wanting to waste time on theoretical study, will lack both practical skills and theoretical knowledge. This applies to any field of knowledge. Learning focused solely on practical skills is ineffective. This is why in countries with highly developed economies, political and legal systems, and advanced democracies, educational programs require a deep understanding of general theory and the study of primary sources. But the other extreme, focusing solely on theory without considering the practical application, detaches theory from life. Practice and experience are the only means to test theory, enhance the validity of true theories, and reject false ones.
• The Role of the Interpreter in the process of understanding is crucial, as the interpreter is the direct source of knowledge. If a physicist knows the law of universal gravitation, they must acknowledge that it was not nature itself that revealed this to them but Isaac Newton, who discovered it. Newton, in this case, is the interpreter of the text of nature. Subsequently, anyone with some understanding in the field of physics knows about gravity as interpreted by Newton. If a translator translates a book from one language to another, the reader engages not with what the original author wrote, but with what the translator has written. Even if the translator attempts to convey the original text as accurately as possible, they can only convey what they understood, that is, what aligned with their horizon of understanding. The reader engages in communication not with the author but with the translator, hoping that the translator has understood the author well. Interpreters are also parents for their children, as children receive their initial knowledge from their parents. Parents read the text of nature, culture, and morality and convey its meaning to their children. The role of the interpreter is immense, and its awareness is crucial not only for expanding knowledge in hermeneutics but also for safety. A doctor is an interpreter of the processes occurring in the human body. If a doctor makes a wrong diagnosis, that is, errs in interpreting bodily processes, it can have fatal consequences. If politicians and economists misinterpret the economic situation, the result of this mistake will be the impoverishment of the people. If a manager misinterprets the messages from their team, the consequence will be inefficiency in the company’s operations. The vast majority of information people receive is not direct but mediated by interpreters. By opening a newspaper and reading about recent events in Australia, the reader communicates not with Australia but with the reporter who wrote the article, that is, who provided an interpretation of the event. Journalists, in conveying information to their audiences, play the role of mediators between reality and the understanding subject. The importance of the interpreter's role is a matter of national, political, economic, and personal security. Contemporary times prove that the primary battleground in the modern world is the informational space. Competitors destroy each other by spreading false information; politicians win elections by creating high disapproval ratings for their rivals, and the greatest calamity is information wars.