Hermeneutics - Facts and Interpretation in the Age of Information

Pelican Books #16

by John D. Caputo

Is anything ever not an interpretation?
Does interpretation go all the way down?
Is there such a thing as a pure fact that is interpretation-free? If not, how are we supposed to know what to think and do?

These tantalizing questions are tackled by renowned American thinker John D Caputo in this wide-reaching exploration of what the traditional term 'hermeneutics' can mean in a postmodern, twenty-first century world. As a contemporary of Derrida's and longstanding champion of rethinking the disciplines of theology and philosophy, for decades Caputo has been forming alliances across disciplines and drawing in readers with his compelling approach to what he calls "radical hermeneutics." In this new introduction, drawing upon a range of thinkers from Heidegger to the Parisian "1968ers" and beyond, he raises a series of probing questions about the challenges of life in the postmodern and maybe soon to be 'post-human' world.'

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction, Academic, Theology, Ebooks, Language, Politics

368 pages, Paperback

First published January 25, 2018

About the author

John D. Caputo is an American philosopher who is the Thomas J. Watson Professor of Religion Emeritus at Syracuse University and the David R. Cook Professor of Philosophy Emeritus at Villanova University. Caputo is a major figure associated with Postmodern Christianity, Continental Philosophy of Religion, as well as the founder of the theological movement known as weak theology. Much of Caputo's work focuses on hermeneutics, phenomenology, deconstruction and theology.

Reviews

[Harvey Molloy · Rating 4 out of 5]

How much do you know about Gadamer? (Before this book I knew little). For those of us who probably read far too much post-structuralism for our own good in grad school, Caputo — a professor of Religion Emeritus — charts an engaging course through Heidegger, Gadamer, Rorty , Vattimo before arriving at Tillich. He gives an insightful reading of Derrida, focusing on the often ignored section on 'the exorbitant' in Of Grammatology. He's a little soft on the later Derrida (who suffers from a little too much soufflée in his parole) but the section on Tillich and the notion of Nietzsche as a prophet of a new theology is heartfelt. What I learn from Caputo is to keep an eye out for Gadamer's Truth and Method — and to grudgingly admit that perhaps there's a touch of the divine in any hope we feel for those to come.

[T · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent introduction to Hermeneutics and Deconstruction, which relies on little prior knowledge, and provides fantastic application to the modern information age.

[Julian Worker · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hermeneutics is the theory of interpretation. It is the theory that everything is a matter of interpretation.

Including this definition presumably, which is one of the reasons I found this book infuriating, because if this definition is true then how are we supposed to know what to do and think? What is a fact? How can we ever agree on anything?

I am writing this review and that's the only interpretation there is, but this book seems to argue that's not true.

Hermeneutics comes from German philosophy and is focused on the law, the historical tradition, and the classics. Hermeneutics stresses we begin our interpretations from an inherited situation and never from scratch.

The book also covers Deconstruction which started as a French movement of the 1960s and has a background in linguistics. Deconstruction is suspicious of inherited interpretations and traditions.

Hermeneutics takes conversation as its model of enquiry whereas Deconstruction scrutinises the details often to ridiculous depths.

[E. · Rating 2 out of 5]

There were two chapters I really enjoyed and learned from, one about Vattimo and Rorty and the other about how a group of Canadian health care workers applied Gadamerian hermeneutics to their work. Otherwise I didn't care much for the book. Too much of it was simply an introduction to Heidegger, Derrida, etc. But often with a tone that was too clever by half and therefore off-putting. I kept hoping that the book was going to break new ground and speak to our cultural (read Trumpian) moment as indicated in the subtitle, but it never really got there, so very disappointing. In fact the final chapter, on religion, was simply a rehash of the (I think) out-dated theology of Paul Tillich. Sigh.

[faith · Rating 4 out of 5]

read the intro and first chapter, utterly confused by the number of “being”s in it, came back to it 3 months later and finished it in 1.5 weeks. the first half of the book is highly technical (explaining the key ideas of hermeneutics, essentially that everything is an interpretation), while the second half (chapter 7+) ostensibly deals with the “application” aspect (fair warning - i still found it highly technical and abstract, though perhaps marginally less).

that being said, it’s still remarkably readable for a book that grasps with philosophical abstractions. enjoyed the later half especially, seeing how this idea of interpretation is seen in the world. an interesting framework to look at the world (fitting, since it espouses the idea that everything we see is within/through a framework). towards the end, there was also a sense of empathy in his writing despite the theoretical elements - not having hermeneutics remain a theory but a “philosophy of life”.

and sometimes it’s just fun (fun?? maybe?? in a slightly masochistic way) to grapple with subtle complicated ideas. it also contained good introductions (allusions?) to other philosophical ideas in the 20th century e.g. existentialism, metaphysical thought, structuralism, post-modernism (very much intertwined with hermeneutics).

a minor quibble: the title talks about “in the age of information” but i found that particular section of the book to be the weakest (a lot of highly complicated and rich topics such as genetic modification were just talked about briefly, not particularly insightfully). the chapter that made the greatest impact on me was chapter 10, dealing with religion in the post-modern context, still thinking about that.

chapter summaries (for my own reference):
1. how heidegger changed everything: “being and time” - daesin as the being that interprets itself in the world (both individual and collective), hermeneutics as starting from what’s around us rather than nothing a la descartes, interpretation is what we are rather than what we do
2. heidegger strikes again: heidegger’s later refutation of his initial ideas through “a letter to humanism” which espouses “being” as something greater & beyond that reveals itself through historical ages
3. gadamer’s truth and method: 1) art is a microscope into life, participative (artist has 1st interpretation, audience has 2nd) 2) art is separate from the artist (artist merely constitutes 1st intepretation of something), history is not objectivist (i.e. pure facts) but the “fusion of horizons” from present-past difference 3) language used to express understanding rather than pure linguistics
4. derrida and the two interpretations of interpretation: deconstruction as close reading texts to reveal inherent contradictions, 1st interpretation remaining in text to arrive at “higher truth” (rabbi) while 2nd interpretation to create something other than the text (poet) while true interpretation is between those (”fission of horizons”, constant unrest)
5. structuralism, post-structuralism and the age of the program: structuralism sees language as a technological system of words, but looking at words not as having inherent meaning but rather meaning conferred due to their difference between one another (not binary), needing to programme for the unprogrammable
6. the roguish hermeneutics of vattimo and rorty: strong absolute truth (metaphysics) taken over by “weak” (multiple interpretations, where everyone has a different perspective), importance of democracy (as conversation rather than violence)
7. the call of justice and the short arm of the law: law is construction v justice which is undeconstructable (is not something we can reach but rather a “call”), it is the space in between to exercise justice (derrida’s 2 interpretations), 3 aphorias 1) treat each case individually 2) oscillate between law and justice (construct + undeconstructable) 3) urgency (must make decisions rather than refusing to act due to the impossibility of justice)
8. gadamerian nurses: interpretation happens through institutions interpreting themselves, medical profession as a series of constant events (acquired horizon of expectation and the unexpected new), nurses and teachers having to navigate that space in-between and interpret every individual “event”. “their words ‘existed in the space we created between us’ and the conversation ‘belongs’ to no one”
9. spectre of the post human: 2 ideas of post human 1) human as technological system 2) human as just another form of animal, humans and science (genetic coding, plasticity of brain, uncertainty and wonder of science e.g. astrophysics)
10. post-modern, post-secular, post-religious: no science/religion binary, danger of science becoming the new dogma religion was, rising secularism and reasons (1) mythology of bible, 2) understanding pluralism of world), tillich’s viewpoints that God is not an object described by thinking subjects (whereas our language necessarily makes him that), religion in every area of life, christianity as with all religions is a symbol, religion reveals important revelations in a poetic sense (like a parable/sketch that is neither “just a drawing” without meaning but neither is it that ungraspable idea of God). "the hermeneutics of the unconditional, leading an unconditional life - being seized by something of unconditional worth, affirming something of unconditional value, without having a Big Story about the ultimate nature of reality."
11. a quick review: decide to live a life in response to what’s around us. "we cannot live in sheer, open-ended suspense, waiting for a Final Word that never arrives. so, we have in need of various provisional hermeneutics substitutes - stand-ins, representatives, representations, place-holders, symbols, couriers, envoys, agents, delegates, spokespersons, philosophical and theological nicknames - to give concrete form to the call, to allow the 'unconditional' to take shape in the concrete conditions in which it presents itself."

"yes, yes, amen - to the future, to the promise of the world, to the endless interpretability and re-interpretability of the world."

[Tom Pepper · Rating 3 out of 5]

Caputo defends the school of thought, quite popular today, that suggests that absolutely everything is open to interpretation. He defines the hermeneutical position this way: “Interpretations go all the way down but some interpretations are better than others”(5). He insists there are no such things as the “naked fact of the matter”(4). All we have are various interpretations. Then how, exactly, can one be better? Here’s his explanation of this apparent paradox:

“Even our firmest truths are matters of interpretation, but that does not mean that anything goes. Some interpretations are better than others. Some are arbitrary, frivolous, and contrived, and some are serious and well tested. They are not ‘proven’ in the sense of becoming an Absolute Truth but in the sense that we say that someone is a person of proven experience in their field.” (13-14)

Does this defense seem a bit weak? We know an interpretation is better because it is made “seriously” and not “frivolously”? How exactly do we determine this? Can we really assert that those who deny the occurrence of the Holocaust are not doing so in all seriousness? And what about the phrase “proven experience in their field”? Does this not simply beg the question? Doesn’t it simply assume that those deciding someone’s experience is “proven” have some more stable and dependable ground on which to make that assessment? How do they know? Caputo asserts that this is not a matter of anything goes, but aren’t we left with simply the assertion that anything desired by those already in power, and so already able to grant “proven” status, in fact does go?

What is at stake in this way of understanding interpretation? Caputo wants us to consider the interpretability as being a feature of reality—as existing in the nature of the world itself. It is, then, a feature of reality that we can never accuses it directly, can never get completely clear about it. Consider Caputo’s answer to the question “What is Postmodern Hermeneutics in a Nutshell?”:

“we have a vague pre-understanding of something, who knows what—Being? God? World?—something very elemental, that we spend our lives trying to articulate, that’s hermeneutics…in a nutshell. One last time: interpretation goes all the way down. Down to where? Into this ever-reinterpretable something or other. But how would we ever gain access to something that elemental? We are already there. That’s the hermeneutical circle. WE are always going back to where we already are, back to the things that make us us, back to the deep structure of our lives.”(308-309, ellipsis in the original)

What is a stake in interpretation, to put it bluntly, is the reification of at least some of our existing assumptions about what is ultimately real. We have a vague notion which seems to guarantee the validity of our construal of the world, that functions to insure that our particular projects and desires, our intentions, are not socially constructed options but required of us. Maybe that is a concept of a God who demands that we live a certain way, making all of our moral choices demands on us, not choices we make. The goal of interpretation is to convince us to mistake our humanly created intentions for features of the world beyond our control, and so to avoid explaining the real underlying causes and conditions of those particular human intentions. To avoid, most of all, admitting that many of the things we take as demanded of us by the ineffable universe (or, for Caputo, by God) are really up to us.

By focusing on interpretations that “go all the way down”, instead of on explanations, we are robbed of our agency, of our capacity to choose what kinds of intentions are best. But we are given freedom from responsibility, and a sort of motivation that is usually, it seems, much more effective than that provided by what we freely decide upon. We hold on to those “elemental” realities by convincing ourselves that they remain beyond our capacity to explain; all we can do is interpret them endlessly.
We interpret, then, when we don’t want to make explicit the intentions that something is useful for. Any object, in the metaphysical sense, means only its part in advancing our intentions. That is just what it means to mean!

Consider a simple item like a tree. I don’t “interpret” the tree as potential wood, while you “interpret” it as shade and a home for birds. Rather, we are both explaining the function the tree might have in our particular intentions. Only once we become willing to make our intentions explicit can the hermeneutic circle be escaped, and our agency restored.

Caputo’s book is a clear enough statement of the radical hermeneutic position. In fact, it makes it so clear that its absurdity should be evident to most readers. At least in that way this book may contribute to saving the human species from the disasters that such poor thinking are leading us into.

[Walter Schutjens · Rating 2 out of 5]

Swinging erratically between an extremely childish manner of description, and one of the thinkers terminology that would be readily apprehended if not so much space was wasted on bad parables and descriptions, this book was less enjoyable than it was informative, and I didn't learn much. For all these bigtime continental school thinkers you would expect a concise coverage of their major ideas to pack a punch. Which ideally they do, and Caputo did officially put them in there, but with a loose hanging relation of 'hermeneutics' and very little by way of theory, they were not at all helpful.

good luck in the age of information!

[Daniel Clemence · Rating 4 out of 5]

Do you remember when Jordan Peterson was asked about whether he believed in God, he deconstructed the question? “What do you mean by do; what do you mean by believe, what do you mean by in, what do you mean by God”? For someone who dislikes post-Modernism, Jordan Peterson at times represents the perfect embodiment of post-structuralism. Hermeneutics: Facts and Interpretation in the Age of Information, written by John D Caputo, outlines the ideas of the post-structuralist movement from Heidegger until Gadamer. The book outlines how post-structuralism outlines the interpretation of language and the impacts of this on society particularly religion. The book is structured in two broad halves: the first is more theoretical, introducing major continental thinkers (such as Martin Heidegger, Hans‑Georg Gadamer, Jacques Derrida, Richard Rorty, and Gianni Vattimo). The second half turns to applications: how hermeneutics matters in such arenas as law, healthcare, science, the “post-human” and religion.

Hermeneutics starts with looking at Heidegger and how he impacted the interpretation of language. Being and Time outlines how to interpret the language which we have. The important concept that Heidegger puts forward is Dasein, which literally means “being-there” or that being interprets in itself rather than being not interpreted. The book injects various religious references as John D Caputo is a religious lecturer. For Heidegger, language meant subjectivity. The problems with Heidegger are that he was a Nazi member. To what extent Nazism corrupts his thinking is debatable, but it is worth pointing it out.

Gadamer is the next thinker that is looked at in the field of hermeneutics. Texts are like children who leave home after what the author has said. The books have to be interpreted, like Dan McClellan, whom I have cited multiple times, “the Bible says nothing until it is read”. Derrida is then analysed for his ideas of post-structuralism. In particular, his thoughts on deconstruction have gone on to influence many intellectuals and formed the religious Deconstruction movement, in which people unpack their faith that they had developed from.

For post-structuralists, words become signifiers as Saussure outlines and Derrida further iterates. Language has political significance. Justice is inextricably linked to deconstruction, as the words of courts have power. The power related to language is analysed. Then there is the healing of “Gadamer’s Nurses”, the chapter that looks at how nothing exists outside of institutions and the healing power of hermeneutics. The book then looks at the implications of Hermeneutics on religion and Christianity specifically, and argues that Paul Tillich’s view of God is “being itself” as the supreme entity which makes up the idea of God.

One of the book’s key strengths is its clarity of purpose and its conversational tone with respect to a notoriously tough topic. Hermeneutics, deconstruction, continental philosophy — these are often perceived as forbiddingly abstract. Hermeneutics: gives a powerful understanding of the ideas of hermeneutics. I particularly liked Chapter 10, which dealt with the issues of deconstruction within the religious setting of Christianity. Speaking from the experience of deconstructing from Evangelical Christianity to Liberal Christianity, it was a thoughtful chapter and one which made me think. A lot of the ideas in the book are useful for understanding the post-structuralist movement.

One criticism I did have is that hermeneutics as a subject does predate post-structuralism, so it would have been good to have a chapter on the pre-Heidegger thoughts on hermeneutics, including Friedrich Schleiermacher and August Böckh, who both predate Heidegger. It would have also been interesting in Marxist hermeneutics as well, plus the link between hermeneutics and discourse. That said, the book is a highly useful tool for understanding the ideas of hermeneutics.

[Tim · Rating 2 out of 5]

Breezy, glib, impressionistic... like an interminable in-flight magazine article. Like them, it has a few references that might be worth following up, and the occasional suggestive line or two. It might conceivably have some value if it directs some readers to the writers discussed.

It is possible, though obviously not easy, to write accessibly about stuff like deconstruction without travestying it - see for instance Peter Salmon's "An Event, Perhaps". Caputo hasn't done it here. Skip it.

[Bobby B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fuzzy yet interesting.

Some incredible chapters and others that don’t really engage. The good chapters certainly carry this above a three star.

Definitely sparked a want to explore Derrida.

Worth a reread as it is a little confusing, but enjoyable exploration into the abstract.

[Mike Blamires · Rating 2 out of 5]

Let's replace the old gods with new gods with names like Heidegger, Gadamer and Derrida. Aren't we being cheeky in doing so and did I mention that I have met some of these guys in the flesh?

More seriously.
The bit about the sensitive and compassionate nursing response to the mother on the imminent death of her very ill child owes more to the philosophy of the hospice movement I suspect than to any earth shattering moment of insight provided by the application of the Hermeneutic turn.

[Sevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This got me so excited!! About life!! How cool is hermeneutics?!

[Francisco · Rating 4 out of 5]

Veteran postmodernist philosopher and scholar of religion John Caputo gives an interesting introduction to postmodern hermeneutics in this volume. The Pelican collection is more or less directed to a general public, however this is not an easy subject to tackle, and (understandably) starting off with two full chapters on Heidegger will not help people stick with it. However, they really should, as the ideas are not only interesting but get progressively easier to understand as the book goes on and deconstructs the practice of hermeneutics adding sexier thinkers like Derrida to the mix.

If I have one problem with the book, other than starting with the least accessible of the thinkers, is the fact that the use of "in the Age of Information" in the title feels a bit like false advertising. Yes, of course the hermeneutics discussed in the book are generally useful to examining all kinds of texts and information in our age, however other than quick references to it Caputo never really goes in depth into an analysis of new challenger brought about by new technologies, leaving that to more of an afterthought towards the end of the book, rather than a line following the book throughout as the title might make one think.

Caputo is, however, an engaging thinker and writer who does his best to make complicated subjects understandable or, at least, interesting enough that they make the reader put special effort into trying to understand them, and that does pay off. Possibly not the best introduction, unless you already have a general idea about continental philosophers, but a good handbook on postmodern hermeneutics if you do.

[Jakob Wachter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having no knowledge prior to reading the book of the details of hermeneutics beyond my prior belief that “it is the interpretation of text”, this book guided me through a first understanding of Heidegger, Gadamer, Derrida, Rorty, and Vattimo, as well as splashes of Nietzsche and other philosophers throughout. I was captivated merely because of my total blindness to the subject; by the second page the author had firmly established that the project of hermeneutics goes far beyond the rigid tradition of studies and interpretations of famous texts, as was what I had anticipated. Instead it paints hermeneutics as the delicate, subtle yet thorough discursive conversation surrounding the existence of, meaning in, and expression wrought from an act of human self-expression. This extends beyond even artistic expression and later conversations in the book center around justice, care, and religiosity.

I can provide nothing more than a five-star review and my rapturous praise as affectations meant to express my thorough enjoyment of the book. It may not be *the* interpretation of hermeneutical thought—I wouldn’t know one way or the other—but it provides a convincing look at a set of principles and ideas that could prove to fundamentally shape your perception of experiencing events. There’s only one way to find out, no?

[bookishlimitless · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book describes foundational concepts of hermeneutics and as well as Derrida deconstructionism. Now, what is hermeneutics? The theory that everything is a matter of interpretation is called hermeneutics. It is the basis for all our inventiveness in sciences, politics, institutions and living traditions. It provides protection against authoritarianism in ethics and religion. To be precise anywhere that the quiet dictatorship of a rigid orthodoxy takes root. Orthodoxy discourages dissent alternative interpretations and tries to impose a privileged interpretation. This statement is striking “All attempts at a rationalization of the world appearance together with the fundamental datum of logical thought, the ego, are bound to end in a cul de sac and a confession of failure. In point of fact freedom is the very essence of the self and loss of freedom is only a case of forgetting”. Well, Why do I feel like my work is occupied with the task of proving the unreality of the objective world by appeal to logic and authority alike? My ratings for this book is 4 out of 5 for informational content, thought provoking insights and introduction of Hans-Georg Gadamer nature of horizons.

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! It’s well over a decade since I last read any John D. Caputo, and this has made we want to go back and reread the books of his that I have on my shelves. I really enjoyed this. It was good to refresh my memory on hermeneutical things, and it was interesting and helpful relating it all to present day issues. I love this stuff, it is so stimulating, it has me on the edge of my seat ruminating on the implications, and Caputo’s writing style is so accessible.

[Morgan Sloan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is the perfect introduction to hermeneutics: concise, clear and very entertaining! I knew virtually nothing about hermeneutics when I started it and this short introduction has left me eager to learn more. Caputo introduces some of the most important figures in postmodern hermeneutics before discussing a number of very interesting cases in which hermeneutical ideas are put into practice. Highly recommended!!!

[Galatea · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazingly succinct and readable introduction to the field of hermeneutics, or the interpretation of interpretation.

Goes through a fair bit of big names such as Heidegger, Gadamer, Derrida, Rorty, and others. An ideal introductory text for anyone into the Continental side of 20th century philosophy. Highly Recommended.

[Timo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Let's just say I agree with his description of the problem of interpretation, which he sketches in the first 7 chapters but I strongly disagree with his solution with going to the mystics and the theology of Tillich.

[Stephen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The way forward IMHO

[Wim Otte · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gedegen en humoristisch. Postmoderne hermeneutiek, deels gebaseerd op het deconstructiedenken van Derrida.

[Avşar · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember liking it, but have to reread to remember.

[Anna Smith]

Wow I’ve been thinking about what Derrida said about justice frequently since I read this.

[James Rhodes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not quite what I was hoping for, but a worthwhile read.

The tagline Facts and Interpretation in the Age of Information had me very excited about reading an exploration of the difficulty in establishing fact in a world of conflicting interpretation, selective presentation and direct misrepresentation. To some degree these elements are present, but in a very loose and abstract manner.

Where the book thrives is in its explication of the thoughts and ideas of the big names of hermeneutics. The introductions to Heidegger, Derrida and Rorty are particularly well drawn.

As the book progresses there is more detailed exploration of how the ideas of hermeneutics can be applied within science, medicine and finally religion.

The religious commentary is the book's strength and it comes as no surprise that this is Caputo's main field of interest. I am looking forward to finding more detailed work by him on the subject.

However, if you are looking for a book exploring the challenges of saturation and selectivity in modern reportage and politics, this is not the one to get.

It is nevertheless, an excellent introduction to hermeneutics.

[Cal Davie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was absolutely fascinating!

The art of interpretation is one we engage with on a day to day basis. Everything we do and think comes back to hermeneutics!

The book is extremely deep, but yet readable. One takeaway for me was a desire for authenticity, not taking anything at a superficial level. Very much enjoyed this, would recommend.

Upon second reading I am amazed at how he manages to make Derrida just so understandable. The book was a great inspiration to use hermeneutics wherever one may be and where one may go. Caputo is a wonderful proponent of philosophy being of practical use in our lives, not merely abstract musings.

[Matthew Lowery · Rating 4 out of 5]

An admirably clear explanation of some of the key figures in the hermeneutical tradition. The sections on early and alter Heidegger are particularly good, and offer a brilliant entry-way into Heidegger's thought. I also enjoyed the section on Derrida, especially how it emphasises Heidegger's influence, and the section on Gadamer. The whole book is infused with both a clear love of the authors and works being considered as well as a sense of wit rarely found in books such as this. Highly recommended.

[Matthew Lowery · Rating 4 out of 5]

An admirably clear explanation of some of the key figures in the hermeneutical tradition. The sections on early and alter Heidegger are particularly good, and offer a brilliant entry-way into Heidegger's thought. I also enjoyed the section on Derrida, especially how it emphasises Heidegger's influence, and the section on Gadamer. The whole book is infused with both a clear love of the authors and works being considered as well as a sense of wit rarely found in books such as this. Highly recommended.

[Bianca · Rating 4 out of 5]

was gonna give this 3 stars bc whilst i felt like it outlined the main arguments of prominent hermeneutical philosophers and the role of hermeneutics in our contemporary society i still felt like his explanations and arguments were lacking. To me it felt a little adolescent and the bare minimum. but the last couple chapters and the reiteration of the interpretative imperative of the mystery and always to come of life and living gave me a light feeling toward the end.

[Jonathan Perks · Rating 5 out of 5]

It took three attempts but perseverance paid off. A challenging and rewarding book about hermeneutics. Is everything a matter of interpretation? Derrida, Heidegger...all explained in a book that tries to contextualise ‘alternative facts’, religion, healthcare and God. Get your head around it now.

[Clare Russell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book.
It was written so clearly and accessibly so a non- expert but curious reader could understand and apply Heidegger, Nietzsche and Derrida to modern problems as the decline of religion and rise of artificial intelligence.
I know I’ll be thinking about this for a long time