Introduction

reconstructing philosophical hermeneutics

pp. 1-12

in: Morten S. Thaning, The problem of objectivity in Gadamer's hermeneutics in light of McDowell's empiricism, Berlin, Springer, 2015

Abstract

Hans-Georg Gadamer's philosophical hermeneutics is developed as a dialogical form of thought. He is a philosophical ventriloquist, one who articulates his thoughts through the prominent figures of the tradition rather than attempting to develop a system of his own. In the decades after the publication of Truth and Method, Gadamer also engaged in intense dialogue with prominent, contemporary philosophical figures in order to defend and develop his hermeneutics. The debates with Jürgen Habermas and Jacques Derrida are perhaps the most memorable examples of such encounters (Grondin lists the most important papers from these debates. Cf. Grondin, J. 2000. Einführung zu Gadamer. Tübingen: J.C.B. Mohr (Paul Siebeck)).