Hermeneutics and textualityHermeneutics and textuality

Björn ÞorsteinssonBjörn Þorsteinsson

Lecture in Heimspekileg forspjallsvísindi,Lecture in Heimspekileg forspjallsvísindi,Humanities Dept., University of Iceland, 15 February 2006Humanities Dept., University of Iceland, 15 February 2006

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On the programmeOn the programme

What is a text?What is a text?

A few remarks on semiologyA few remarks on semiology

Interpretation and hermeneutics: Interpretation and hermeneutics: definitionsdefinitions

The hermeneutic circleThe hermeneutic circle

The hermeneutic circle and the formation The hermeneutic circle and the formation of beliefsof beliefs

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Text: a few remarksText: a few remarks

An ‘international’ termAn ‘international’ term (even found in Icelandic!) (even found in Icelandic!)

Latin:Latin:– noun noun textustextus, ‘a texture, sth. interrelated’, ‘a texture, sth. interrelated’– verb verb texeretexere, ‘to weave, to intertwine’, ‘to weave, to intertwine’

Text is texture, a webText is texture, a web– To read: to follow threads, disentangle, tie To read: to follow threads, disentangle, tie

together, bring together ...together, bring together ...

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Text, sign, contextText, sign, context

A text is composed of (written) signsA text is composed of (written) signsThe signs come together to form words, The signs come together to form words, and words form sentencesand words form sentencesThe very order of the signs – their place in The very order of the signs – their place in the context – is significantthe context – is significant– orðorð ≠ ≠ roð, kirkjaroð, kirkja ≠ ≠ kyrkjakyrkja– Segir hver?Segir hver? / / Strokkur er hverStrokkur er hver– Aujourd’hui, j’ai mangé un avocatAujourd’hui, j’ai mangé un avocat

Today I ate an avocadoToday I ate an avocadoToday I ate an attorneyToday I ate an attorney

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Language as a system of meaningLanguage as a system of meaning

Within each language, the words relate to Within each language, the words relate to each other and form a certain contexteach other and form a certain context

This context differs from one language to This context differs from one language to the otherthe other

The ‘same’ word can hava a wholly The ‘same’ word can hava a wholly different meaning between languagesdifferent meaning between languages– A silly example: A silly example: fartfart..

Danish: Danish: velocity, motionvelocity, motion..

English: (you already know what I’m getting at)English: (you already know what I’m getting at)

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The importance of the contextThe importance of the context

Language use in general presupposes a Language use in general presupposes a contextual sensecontextual senseThis applies equally to This applies equally to writingwriting and and speechspeechTo speak a language entailsTo speak a language entails– expression: writing and speakingexpression: writing and speaking– interpretation: read texts, understand speechinterpretation: read texts, understand speech

And this implies at least two factors:And this implies at least two factors:– knowledge of grammar and of vocabularyknowledge of grammar and of vocabulary– a ‘sense of situation’, i.e. a contextual sensea ‘sense of situation’, i.e. a contextual sense

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Context and text in a wide senseContext and text in a wide sense

Reading, in a broad sense, entails Reading, in a broad sense, entails following threads and analysing relationsfollowing threads and analysing relations

Thus, reading is investigating the context Thus, reading is investigating the context of thingsof things

The world has meaning because things The world has meaning because things relate to each other, i.e. form a contextrelate to each other, i.e. form a context– To know To know what something iswhat something is is to be able to is to be able to

describe its relations to other thingsdescribe its relations to other things

The world is (like) a text...The world is (like) a text...

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What is a text? A simple depictionWhat is a text? A simple depiction

an idea is an idea is bornborn

the idea is the idea is written written downdown

the idea the idea ‘lives’ in the ‘lives’ in the

texttext

the text is the text is read, the read, the idea is idea is

apprehen-apprehen-dedded

the idea has the idea has reached its reached its destinationdestination

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The simple idea of a textThe simple idea of a text

A text is like a container: it A text is like a container: it containscontains meaningmeaning

When you read a text, you open the When you read a text, you open the container and absorb the meaningcontainer and absorb the meaning

The purpose of texts is to convey meaning The purpose of texts is to convey meaning between personsbetween persons

In normal circumstances, this conveying is In normal circumstances, this conveying is non-problematicnon-problematic

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Simple examples of textsSimple examples of texts

Messages: conveying simple factsMessages: conveying simple facts– ““Went to the café. Be back at seven.”Went to the café. Be back at seven.”

Memos: conveying information to oneself Memos: conveying information to oneself at a later dateat a later date– shopping lists, task listsshopping lists, task lists– Other types of examples: diaries, calendarsOther types of examples: diaries, calendars

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More complex examplesMore complex examples

Letters: conveying many different types of Letters: conveying many different types of informationinformation– weather, emotions, gossip, big news, small weather, emotions, gossip, big news, small

news...news...

Newspaper storiesNewspaper stories

Legal textsLegal texts– „„Með lögum skal land byggja“: society is Með lögum skal land byggja“: society is

based on texts!based on texts!

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The truth of the textThe truth of the text

The objective of the text: to prevent The objective of the text: to prevent misunderstandingmisunderstanding– Exception: fiction (?)Exception: fiction (?)

But is this objective ‘realistic’?But is this objective ‘realistic’?

What texts are What texts are beyondbeyond misunderstanding? misunderstanding?

The text seems to have a life of its own, The text seems to have a life of its own, haunted by the spectre of haunted by the spectre of misunderstanding...misunderstanding...

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A good text: opposite polesA good text: opposite poles

A scientific or academic text is good if it is A scientific or academic text is good if it is clear and precise...clear and precise...– it does not it does not inviteinvite misunderstanding, conveys a misunderstanding, conveys a

particular clear, determinable meaningparticular clear, determinable meaning– it “effaces itself” as soon as its mission is it “effaces itself” as soon as its mission is

completedcompleted– it does not hide its meaning, rather it lays it it does not hide its meaning, rather it lays it

barebare

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A good text: opposite polesA good text: opposite poles (ctd.) (ctd.)

A text of fiction is good if it is ambiguous, A text of fiction is good if it is ambiguous, many-layered, multiple...many-layered, multiple...– it does not lend itself to a single, ‘literal’ it does not lend itself to a single, ‘literal’

meaningmeaning– it ‘lives its own life’ and invites creative it ‘lives its own life’ and invites creative

reading: different interpretationsreading: different interpretations– sometimes, it lets its meaning ‘shine through’ sometimes, it lets its meaning ‘shine through’

but never displays it in its entirety, all at oncebut never displays it in its entirety, all at once– ... but this does not mean that all ... but this does not mean that all

interpretations are equally justifiedinterpretations are equally justified

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What is a sign?What is a sign?

A sign has two aspects:A sign has two aspects:– signifier: signifier: what does the signifying, what is what does the signifying, what is

being used to represent the thingbeing used to represent the thingExample: the word “table”Example: the word “table”

– signified: signified: what is being signified, the thing what is being signified, the thing itselfitself

Example: the table as Example: the table as thisthis material object material object

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What is a sign?What is a sign?

signsignsignifiersignifier

signifiedsignified

“table”

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The circuit of speechThe circuit of speech

c i c ic: concepti: the ‘acoustic image’ of the

word

hearing

speech hearing

speech

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Expression and interpretationExpression and interpretation

As soon as we express ourselves, the As soon as we express ourselves, the need for interpretation arisesneed for interpretation arises

The signs we use are never completely The signs we use are never completely transparenttransparent– The signs “are something else than ‘pure The signs “are something else than ‘pure

meaning’, yet without them it would be meaning’, yet without them it would be impossible for any meaning to appear; in the impossible for any meaning to appear; in the absence of signs, meaning would only be absence of signs, meaning would only be thought, not made present.”thought, not made present.” (Páll Skúlason in (Páll Skúlason in Mál og Mál og túlkuntúlkun, p. 179), p. 179)

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Interpretation: reading into...Interpretation: reading into...

Interpretation is the search for the ‘core’ of Interpretation is the search for the ‘core’ of what is being said or written: the meaning, what is being said or written: the meaning, the truth being conveyedthe truth being conveyed

Interpretation is called for when the Interpretation is called for when the meaning is not perfectly clearmeaning is not perfectly clear

The role of interpretation is to ‘remove’ the The role of interpretation is to ‘remove’ the signs, thereby ‘reinvigorating’ the ‘pure signs, thereby ‘reinvigorating’ the ‘pure meaning’meaning’

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What is hermeneutics?What is hermeneutics?

The word is derived from the Greek god The word is derived from the Greek god HermesHermes– Hermes was the messenger of the gods, the Hermes was the messenger of the gods, the

one that brought their messages to humansone that brought their messages to humans

Theological hermenutics: the art of Theological hermenutics: the art of elucidating the Scriptureelucidating the Scripture

Secular hermeneutics: the art of Secular hermeneutics: the art of elucidating texts in generalelucidating texts in general

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Origins of modern hermeneuticsOrigins of modern hermeneutics

Schleiermacher (1768-1834):Schleiermacher (1768-1834):– No real difference between interpreting the No real difference between interpreting the

Bible and other textsBible and other texts– No difference between spoken and written No difference between spoken and written

languagelanguage– Interpretation bridges the gap between Interpretation bridges the gap between

meaning and its expressionmeaning and its expression– Interpretation is the art of avoiding Interpretation is the art of avoiding

misunderstandingmisunderstanding

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Dilthey: explaining, understandingDilthey: explaining, understanding

Wilhelm Dilthey (1833-1911): Wilhelm Dilthey (1833-1911): distinguished between natural sciences distinguished between natural sciences and humanistic sciences:and humanistic sciences:– The natural sciences seek to The natural sciences seek to explainexplain natural natural

phenomena: place them in a phenomena: place them in a context of cause context of cause and effectand effect

– The humanistic sciences seek to The humanistic sciences seek to understandunderstand human phenomena: place them in a human phenomena: place them in a meaningful contextmeaningful context

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Interpretation and presuppositionsInterpretation and presuppositions

Each act of interpretation must in some Each act of interpretation must in some way reflect the preconceptions of whoever way reflect the preconceptions of whoever is doing the interpretingis doing the interpreting– What do I know about this object?What do I know about this object?– What are my expectations?What are my expectations?– Is it likely that the object will be of interest, will Is it likely that the object will be of interest, will

it teach me something new?it teach me something new?

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The hermeneutic circle – 1The hermeneutic circle – 1

The word of God is revealed in the BibleThe word of God is revealed in the BibleThe belief in the word of God presupposes The belief in the word of God presupposes an understanding of what the Bible saysan understanding of what the Bible saysBut one cannot understand what the Bible But one cannot understand what the Bible says unless one believessays unless one believesHence: “in order to believe, you have to Hence: “in order to believe, you have to understand – and in order to understand, understand – and in order to understand, you have to believe“you have to believe“

understanding understanding belief belief

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The hermeneutic circle – 2The hermeneutic circle – 2

In order to understand a text in its entirety, In order to understand a text in its entirety, I have to understand each part of itI have to understand each part of it

In order to understand each part of the In order to understand each part of the text, I have to understand the wholetext, I have to understand the whole

part part whole whole

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The hermeneutic circle – 3The hermeneutic circle – 3

The interpretation of the object is The interpretation of the object is determined by the interpreter’s determined by the interpreter’s preconceptionspreconceptions

The interpreter’s preconceptions are The interpreter’s preconceptions are affected by the interpretation of the objectaffected by the interpretation of the object

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The circle – key pointsThe circle – key points

We are in the world, and the world is full of We are in the world, and the world is full of meaningmeaning

Our view of the world, our receptibility Our view of the world, our receptibility towards the meaning that it harbours, is towards the meaning that it harbours, is determined by the experience that we determined by the experience that we have gatheredhave gathered

Each time we ‘learn something new’, our Each time we ‘learn something new’, our view of the world and of particular view of the world and of particular phenomena is changedphenomena is changed

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Interpretation and beliefsInterpretation and beliefs

Critical thinking and the hermeneutic Critical thinking and the hermeneutic circle:circle:– admitting that we are always partly influenced admitting that we are always partly influenced

by preconceptions and prejudicesby preconceptions and prejudices– demanding that we strive to constantly demanding that we strive to constantly

reconsider our preconceptions, allowing the reconsider our preconceptions, allowing the object to appear as fully and purely as object to appear as fully and purely as possiblepossible

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Interpretation and beliefsInterpretation and beliefs

If we succeed to meet this double If we succeed to meet this double challenge, the hermeneutic circle will not challenge, the hermeneutic circle will not hamper us...hamper us...

rather, it will become a valuable instrument rather, it will become a valuable instrument in our search for a new and better world-in our search for a new and better world-view...!view...!

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The circle, final versionThe circle, final version

preconceptions object