Traditionally, hermeneutics is called the theory and practice of interpretation of texts, which developed in the historical and philological science from the XVIII century (G. Meyer, H. Wolf, etc.).Then she began to take a more universal character.Friedrich Schleiermacher developed it as a general theory of interpretation, and Wilhelm Dilthey - as the foundation of knowledge of the humanities.However, if Schleiermacher insisted on the traditional grammatical and linguistic methods of interpretation, that for Dilthey's hermeneutical method - is, above all, the art of understanding.
In the twentieth century the method of text interpretation hermeneutics turned to philosophy, mainly due to the phenomenology of Husserl and Martin Heidegger's work.If Husserl primary reality in cognition is not considered the "spirit" and "matter" and the "life-world" that Heidegger, using the teachings of Husserl claimed that the history and culture of this life world is, by and large, language.In his later works, Heidegger wrote that language shapes the purpose of life that we did not speak the language, but rather, he says, with our help.Continuing the tradition of Dilthey, Heidegger has determined that such philosophical hermeneutics.This hermeneutics of language, as it is laid, which is possible with the help of an understanding as such, which, in turn, leads to a "breakthrough to the true being, living and thinking."
All this determined the further development of such a phenomenon as hermeneutics.Philosophy, in which it is transformed, raised the question of how can the process of understanding the world, a place in this process belongs to "the discovery of the truth of being."It was brilliantly done its leading spokesman Hans-Georg Gadamer.Interpreting history and human existence, hermeneutics began to claim the place of philosophy, explains the meaning of life, art and history, embracing the experience and the individual, and society, traditions, and break with it.When Paul Ricoeur hermeneutical dialectic of explanation and understanding of the art is a philosophical interpretation of the world around us, for Habermas - the method of transformation of society, for the Gadamer - the most versatile of modern philosophy.
Gadamer's most famous work - "Truth and Method" - in its name like a secret fundamentals of what hermeneutics.The philosophy of the understanding set out in this work, shows a significant difference of interpretation between the natural and mathematical sciences on the one hand, and social and human - on the other.Theoretical concepts of natural and mathematical sciences are based on a formal methodology, based on induction and deduction, and verification of hypotheses, the study of recurring patterns.Humanitarian science is directed to the search for truth, and not focus on the methodology.And the truth - it is not a theory, it's a fact of life - one where there are living people.
Using the terminology of Heidegger, Gadamer gives the answer to the question of what the humanities and what is their specificity.A huge role he played by the concept of tradition.It is for him a form of authority, because one can not know anything without the help of its predecessors.But the tradition can not exist without language.She passed it by.In addition, using the language of articulate human experience, express and give it shape.Cognition is also due to the presence of the language.In the statement of Gadamer's hermeneutics - the philosophy of understanding - argues that it is inherent in the language.But the ambiguity of it leads to the fact that the texts should be interpreted hermeneutically, in order to understand all of their senses.
In Gadamer's philosophy, there is another, even more fundamental category than the language - it's a game.It lies at the heart of the deep human way of being and enables the process of cognition.In addition, the language and understanding the same as those based on the game.After all, it is, according to Gadamer, it is not derived from the individual, and does not contain interest - she is independent and self-sufficient, as a "thing in itself".The game is a real entity - it draws in players to give them the incarnation.No wonder the game known as "breathtaking" - they really capture the participants.
So the gameplay is the aesthetic contemplation of works of art, reading a book, an understanding of history."The aesthetic experience catharsis, historical research - emphasizes Gadamer - promise a special, devoid of pragmatic interest in pleasure."
can say that hermeneutics, philosophy and theory of knowledge in the humanities, says that understanding, approaching the game, allows you to get closer to the truth.Experience hermeneutics, as the experience of art and religion, based in many cases on intellectual intuition, intuition.Hermeneutic art of understanding, led by intuition, allows to comprehend the meaning of the text itself.Moreover, taking into account not only that the author wanted to say, but also the context in which the text is created, and that it carries.This is possible thanks to categories such as common sense, personal experience, the opening of the internal logic with the help of a kind of reincarnation, the "dialogue" with the text.Such knowledge of the "inside" allows you to comprehend the phenomenon of society and culture, and the problems of human existence.
