A Propaedeutic to Dialogue: "On The Oneness Of The Hermeneutical Horizon(s)" & "On The Importance Of Getting Things Straight"
S. Geniusas: Although Gadamer’s hermeneutics has suffered attacks from a number of philosophical perspectives, the profusion of criticisms seldom constitutes new challenges and for the most part is a reiteration of two seemingly opposite claims. On the one hand, we often hear that Gadamer’s hermene...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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University of Windsor
2006-11-01
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| Series: | PhaenEx: Journal of Existential and Phenomenological Theory and Culture |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://phaenex.uwindsor.ca/index.php/phaenex/article/view/68 |
| _version_ | 1818527489558839296 |
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| author | Saulius Geniusas Gary Brent Madison |
| author_facet | Saulius Geniusas Gary Brent Madison |
| author_sort | Saulius Geniusas |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | S. Geniusas:
Although Gadamer’s hermeneutics has suffered attacks from a number of philosophical perspectives, the profusion of criticisms seldom constitutes new challenges and for the most part is a reiteration of two seemingly opposite claims. On the one hand, we often hear that Gadamer’s hermeneutics is merely a disguised brand of the “philosophy of the subject” which under the pretext of openness reduces the Other to the self. On the other hand, it is just as often claimed that Gadamer’s writings fall into the category of the “hermeneutics of the fundamental questions” and therefore they cannot account for the selfhood of the self. Taking as its focus the theme of the oneness of the hermeneutical horizon(s), this paper argues that this theme carries no hegemonic or essentialist connotations. Rather, a careful analysis, which accentuates the negative and the dialectical elements of the oneness of horizons and the fact that this theme is for Gadamer both a presupposition and an achievement, reveals the shortcomings of both critiques. In the final analysis, the oneness of the horizon(s) is the dialogue that we ourselves are. Special attention is granted to Richard Kearney’s critique of Gadamer, to Gadamer’s critique of the incommensurabilist stance, and to the relevance of Gadamer’s hermeneutics in the context of today’s socio-political concerns.
G. B. Madison:
This essay is a companion piece to S. Geniusas’ “On the Oneness of the Hermeneutical Horizon(s)” and seeks to correct some of the serious misunderstandings of the philosophical hermeneutics of Hans-Georg Gadamer that one often encounters in the literature. It seeks above all to show how Gadamer’s commitment to philosophical universalism is ideally suited to enabling philosophy to confront the ethical challenges posed by the phenomenon of globalization. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T06:36:46Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7a7f1081832c407a83d7c012811639dc |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1911-1576 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T06:36:46Z |
| publishDate | 2006-11-01 |
| publisher | University of Windsor |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PhaenEx: Journal of Existential and Phenomenological Theory and Culture |
| spelling | doaj.art-7a7f1081832c407a83d7c012811639dc2022-12-22T01:17:20ZengUniversity of WindsorPhaenEx: Journal of Existential and Phenomenological Theory and Culture1911-15762006-11-011110.22329/p.v1i1.68A Propaedeutic to Dialogue: "On The Oneness Of The Hermeneutical Horizon(s)" & "On The Importance Of Getting Things Straight"Saulius GeniusasGary Brent MadisonS. Geniusas: Although Gadamer’s hermeneutics has suffered attacks from a number of philosophical perspectives, the profusion of criticisms seldom constitutes new challenges and for the most part is a reiteration of two seemingly opposite claims. On the one hand, we often hear that Gadamer’s hermeneutics is merely a disguised brand of the “philosophy of the subject” which under the pretext of openness reduces the Other to the self. On the other hand, it is just as often claimed that Gadamer’s writings fall into the category of the “hermeneutics of the fundamental questions” and therefore they cannot account for the selfhood of the self. Taking as its focus the theme of the oneness of the hermeneutical horizon(s), this paper argues that this theme carries no hegemonic or essentialist connotations. Rather, a careful analysis, which accentuates the negative and the dialectical elements of the oneness of horizons and the fact that this theme is for Gadamer both a presupposition and an achievement, reveals the shortcomings of both critiques. In the final analysis, the oneness of the horizon(s) is the dialogue that we ourselves are. Special attention is granted to Richard Kearney’s critique of Gadamer, to Gadamer’s critique of the incommensurabilist stance, and to the relevance of Gadamer’s hermeneutics in the context of today’s socio-political concerns. G. B. Madison: This essay is a companion piece to S. Geniusas’ “On the Oneness of the Hermeneutical Horizon(s)” and seeks to correct some of the serious misunderstandings of the philosophical hermeneutics of Hans-Georg Gadamer that one often encounters in the literature. It seeks above all to show how Gadamer’s commitment to philosophical universalism is ideally suited to enabling philosophy to confront the ethical challenges posed by the phenomenon of globalization.https://phaenex.uwindsor.ca/index.php/phaenex/article/view/68GadamerRicoeurhermeneuticsuniversalityparticularityrelativism |
| spellingShingle | Saulius Geniusas Gary Brent Madison A Propaedeutic to Dialogue: "On The Oneness Of The Hermeneutical Horizon(s)" & "On The Importance Of Getting Things Straight" PhaenEx: Journal of Existential and Phenomenological Theory and Culture Gadamer Ricoeur hermeneutics universality particularity relativism |
| title | A Propaedeutic to Dialogue: "On The Oneness Of The Hermeneutical Horizon(s)" & "On The Importance Of Getting Things Straight" |
| title_full | A Propaedeutic to Dialogue: "On The Oneness Of The Hermeneutical Horizon(s)" & "On The Importance Of Getting Things Straight" |
| title_fullStr | A Propaedeutic to Dialogue: "On The Oneness Of The Hermeneutical Horizon(s)" & "On The Importance Of Getting Things Straight" |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Propaedeutic to Dialogue: "On The Oneness Of The Hermeneutical Horizon(s)" & "On The Importance Of Getting Things Straight" |
| title_short | A Propaedeutic to Dialogue: "On The Oneness Of The Hermeneutical Horizon(s)" & "On The Importance Of Getting Things Straight" |
| title_sort | propaedeutic to dialogue on the oneness of the hermeneutical horizon s on the importance of getting things straight |
| topic | Gadamer Ricoeur hermeneutics universality particularity relativism |
| url | https://phaenex.uwindsor.ca/index.php/phaenex/article/view/68 |
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