Philosophical hermeneutics: a critical essay on the gadamerian proposal

Abstract

This essay intends to: [a] analyze if the proposal of a Gadamer’s Philosophical Hermeneutics really gives an account of the foundation of any and all hermeneutics; and [b] to evaluate the relevance or not of the locus of philosophy for hermeneutics. Therefore, it is necessary: [a] to evidence that the History of the Concept (Begriffsgeschichte) is disabled of offer a common core of meaning to the term Hermeneutics; [b] to reconstruct the arguments that make the Gadamerian expression Philosophical Hermeneutics possible; [c] to raise questions that present the central weakness of the argument from the Hegelian speculative property that was remembered by Gadamer himself. On the one hand, this essay is a bibliographic research – since it is based on consolidated references –, and, on the other, a documentary, as it intends to revisit some important documents to contribute to the outcome. Essentially, the essay discussion is done formally with Gadamer (2008) in his treatise “Truth and Method”, which will not prevent the use of classics from the history of Hermeneutics, such as: Aristotle (2016), Schleiermacher (1999), Dilthey (1900), Heidegger (1997, 1999), and the treatise “Science of Logic”, by Hegel (2016), as a counter point. The preliminary results of this essay call into question the idea of ​​Philosophical Hermeneutics and it use the Hegelian speculative theory as an outlet for the Gadamerian problem.