Gadamer's Hermeneutics as Practical Philosophy
Gadamer's Hermeneutics as Practical Philosophy

Summary/Abstract: The aim of the first text entitled “Hermeneutics and praxis” is to show the network of the most relevant concepts of philosophic hermeneutics and to present their inner essential interconnectedness with Aristotle's concept of practical philosophy. The elaboration of fundamental notions of prejudice, hermeneutical circle of tradition, situation, effective-historical consciousness, fusion of horizons and application can be found in the text. The explanation of the above mentioned notions intends to legitimize Gadamer's central thesis that our understanding is never mere subject-oriented behaviour. On the contrary, it is always historically limited. In this context, the notion of prejudice loses its negative connotation and represents not only the link with our tradition, but also the original source of all our judgements. Taking into consideration this notion as highly relevant, Gadamer intends to show that we can never fully escape from all of our prejudices, although it does not mean that we cannot encounter them critically. The ground for their understanding is exactly within our very historical being and union with our tradition. We cannot erase our own horizon when approaching someone else; we should rather find a common ground with them. Therefore, the process of understanding always has a dialogical character. The second text deals with the universal requirement of the method of natural sciences. Experiences of art, philosophy and social sciences (die Geisteswissenschaften) counterstrike it. One cannot recognize the meaning of social sciences once they are excluded from the horizon of praxis. Moreover, social sciences are moral sciences and the concept of progress, so common in the terminology of natural sciences, cannot be applied to them. Their very purpose is human self-understanding. At this point some possible consequences are being introduced, resulting from the standpoint of philosophic hermeneutics. Namely, the question of the possibility of rehabilitation of the practical phenomenon, as opposed to the methodological truth of natural sciences, is being problematised. Furthermore, an outline of some other crucial problems is given, such as revival of self-understanding of social sciences, universal competence of scientific experts and domain and objectives of contemporary education.

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