Hermeneutics: Interpretation Theory in Schleiermacher, Dilthey, Heidegger and Gadamer

by Richard E. Palmer

Hermeneutics introduces English-speaking readers to a field of increasing importance in contemporary philosophy and theology—hermeneutics, the theory of understanding, or interpretation. Hermeneutics is concerned with the character of understanding, especially as it is related to interpreting linguistic texts. It goes beyond mere philological methodology, however, to questions of the philosophy of language, the nature of historical understanding, and ultimately the roots of interpretation in existential understanding.

Palmer principally treats the conception of hermeneutics enunciated by Heidegger and developed into a “philosophical hermeneutics” by Hans-Georg Gadamer. He provides a brief overview of the field of hermeneutics by surveying some half-dozen alternate definitions of the term and by examining in detail the contributions of Friedrich Schleiermacher and Wilhelm Dilthey. In the “Manifesto” which concludes the book, Palmer suggests the potential significance of hermeneutics for literary interpretation.

When the context of interpretation is pressed to its limits, hermeneutics becomes the philosophical analysis of what is involved in every act of understanding. In this context, hermeneutics becomes relevant not simply to the humanistic disciplines, in which linguistic and historical understanding are crucial, but to scientific forms of interpretation as well, for it asserts the principles involved in any and every act of interpretation.

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction, Reference

304 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1969

Reviews

[Alex Obrigewitsch · Rating 3 out of 5]

A useful introduction to hermeneutics. The text itself stumbles by its blatantly secondary nature. What I mean to say is that one would gain a mich greater experience of understanding by reading some texts by Schleiermacher, Dilthey, Heidegger, and Gadamer.
The worst parts are the opening and closing sections. Palmer's thought is a piecemeal stitching of earlier thinkers' (especially Gadamer), steeped in logocentrism. His focus in spoken language, despite the fundamentally woven textuality of his (his?) understanding of experience and understanding left me sour to his writing from early on.
The final reason this work gets only three stars is that the final section is a rehashing and explaining of what he has written before it. If one has read the sections preceding the final then there is no point in restating, besides filling out the page count. A waste.
This does remain an opening for the person interested in hermeneutics, and it is very accessible, though a biy dated. But your time is better spent reading the four thinkers discussed. You will gain a lot more from the endeavour.

[Kristopher · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read many selections from this in college, but felt compelled to pick it up recently and reread it. It's a wonderful manifesto of hermeneutical phenomenology. Occasionally, Palmer waxes a bit too poetic, but in general it's a spiriting call-to-arms for the serious phenomenological literary critic, re-challenging the accepted subject-object split still embedded in literary criticism, even today, some 40 years after this book's publication. While I had hoped for more examples of the type of interpretation Palmer expects of his "followers," his overall treatment of the four theorists named in the title, and his manifesto at the end, more than make up for whatever problems I have with his occasionally flamboyant style or deficiency in examples.

[Dinar "Ika"]

Sesungguhnya Hermeneutik sudah dimulai sejak pemikiran Hermes, Socrates, Plato, Aristoteles ; kemudian dilanjutkan dengan tokoh-tokoh reformasi kristen seperti St. Agustinus, Thomas Aquinas, Martin Luther dan tokoh-tokoh aktivis kristen yang ingin menginterpretasikan isi alkitab. Sejalan dengan waktu, tokoh-tokoh Hermeneutik dipopulerkan lebih meluas oleh Friedlich Schleiermacher, Dilthey, Heidegger, dan Gadamer dengan berbagai ciri pandangannya masing-masing. Di dalam buku inilah perbedaan teori-teori keempat tokoh Hermeneutik tersebut dibahas dan dikupas.,Sangat bagus dibaca oleh para peminat filsafat dan sastra.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Paul Ricoeur is a footnote because Richard Palmer did not know French, but the German that is permitted is a fine wine.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid introduction to hermeneutics, this text simply surveys the possible definitions of the field given at various times and then surveys four major authors in the field to show its progress from the early 19th c. through the mid 20th. The field has certainly continued on since then, but this volume helps catch you up at least until Gadamer in the 1960's. Very useful introduction to a very dizzying topic that is, for its wide reach into every discipline of humanities (from literary criticism to theology to art history to epistemology and philosophy), a topic of extreme importance.

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A classic; Palmer does for hermeneutics what Spiegelberg did for phenomenology. Given the paucity in the acknowledgement and understanding of hermeneutic theory relative to its contribution to postmodernism, this is quite a service.

[Noah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part I and II were nice introductions to Heidegger/Gadamer/etc. Dude's Manifesto (Part III) was repetitive, a little bit f*cked, and totes dated.

[John Roberson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good introduction to philosophical hermeneutics.

[Nathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great intro to hermeneutics, it is a good presentation to the hermeneutical philosophers. This work is one of my first time getting in touch with hermeneutics. I found the text to reveal a new way of seeing works of philosophy that I didn’t conceive before. That being said, it seems to me that the manifesto could have been its own work.

[Jokersdot · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit too long and filled with metaphorical language, but the chapters on Gadamer and the manifest on Literature Interpretation were worth the suffering.

[Alexander Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this overview of Hermeneutics. It really lit a fire under me to understand more about how we interpret and make meaning from texts in the context of education and experience.

[Chant · Rating 3 out of 5]

Useful for having a very (and I mean VERY) cursory glance of Gadamer's (Truth and Method) and early Heidegger's (Being and Time) usage of philosophical hermeneutics.

[Owen Y · Rating 5 out of 5]

a must read imo

[Laura Walin · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was not light reading. In principle the structure of the book was logical, giving a chronological overview on teh development of hermeneutics and applying it to literature. However, the sentences were unduly long, and if I thought I had understood the sentence when I started it, I got lost halfway through. Occasionally, I think I managed to glimpse something in the labyrinth of word created by Palmer. I am reading this book for an exam, so I live in the hope that the second reading will make it clearer to me.

[Travis Timmons · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was so helpful understanding how hermeneutics have developed from the 19th century through Gadamer. The sections on Schleiermacher and Dilthey are invaluable, given that I probably won't read these two thinkers, who are nonetheless interlocutors of both Heidegger and Gadamer.

As for the Gadamer chapters, well, they were illuminating--deepening my own reading of Truth and Method.

An added bonus was the great manifesto section of 30 theses in the concluding chapter.

[Abdullah Başaran · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book both is a very good introduction to hermeneutics and has a very expansive summary called "Thirty Theses on Interpretation". Cos of these facilities, the book deserves 4 stars at least.

[كريم الصياد · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eine einfache Einleitung zur Hermeneutik, für wen kein Experte ist.

مقدمة مبسطة لغير المتخصصين

[Alexandre · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my kind of book, but I had to read it for a class so it was good in its field :P