Hermeneutics: Interpreting what is SEEN

            The human agenda is a complex and diverse anomaly. The human being is capable of making and understanding logic thought, but yet it is almost impossible to conclude why this is so. Why can a human understand mathematical rhetoric and produce theories to ways of life, but another animal, such as a dog or sloth, cannot? I am not sure as to why this is, nor can I tell you why animals, such as the human being, can be so alike (as a species), but yet be so diverse. I do believe that, as a people, we see things the same way but interpret them differently. For example, observe the picture below:

Apple

            If you see the exact same thing I see, then you are looking at a red delicious apple. The question posed is this: What do you SEE when I say the word “Apple”? You may think of the same exact apple above. You may picture a green apple. Heck, you might even picture a Macintosh or iPod. Any number of these mental pictures are correct because it is not the object itself that matters, but how the individual human interprets it. Now, by observing this apple, you can interpret any number of things: the color (is it bright, dark, or normal red?), the shape (is it too fat?), or the focus of attention (did you notice the red apple first? the green leaf? the glare or sparkle of water droplets?). These are all ways in which we can observe an object, and how we, as an individual, can SEE the object (mentally). What I am trying to introduce is the concept of Hermeneutics.

            According to the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, the term hermeneutics covers both the first order art and the second order theory of understanding and interpretation of linguistic and non-linguistic expressions. Basically, hermeneutics is the study of interpretation. This is an important study because we take the human mind for granted. We are constantly wondering how the world works, and time and time again, we are unaware of how curious we really are. The “world is a phenomena in which we build sense”¹, and it is critical to build that sense in order to make sense. I guess, to answer the question posed above, humans are creative beings who tend to make sense of the otherwise senseless; we “bestow meaning on the seemingly meaningless.”²

            Hermeneutics comes into play once we start making meaning. In order to make meaning, an individual must have access to linguistic and interpretative resources. However,hermeneutic theory also posits that linguistic meaning is likely open toinfinite interpretation and reinterpretation due to the interpretativeambiguity coming from presuppositions, to the conditions of usage differentfrom authorial intention, and to the evolution of words (Marshall et al. 2001). This gives the human being an existential amount of interpretations and assumptions. This now leads me to discuss the five types hermeneutic study. They include Normative, Natural, Scientific, Philosophical, and Depth. I shall explain each form in detail in the next following paragraphs.

            The first is Natural Hermeneutics, which can be defined as “the spontaneous, usually unreflective interpreting that we do everyday when inter-subjective understanding is broken down.”³ It’s the response we make when something isn’t understood. They can differ between “Excuse me, but what?” or “Did you say you wanted me to kill all the golfers?” They are natural responses to what we don’t comprehend.

            Next is Normative Hermeneutics, which means that text that cannot be interpreted by the normal person is then made understood by a second party, a “specialist.”⁴ This specialist can include a priest, a lawyer or judge, or a professor. This is an important category because the majority of texts can ONLY be interpreted by someone whose job it is to make these interpretations. To understand what I mean, please view the clip to the below.

History of Creation

            The third category is Scientific Hermeneutics, and it can be defined as “the foundational discipline of the human or historical sciences.”⁵ Most hermeneutic thought is social, whereas the scientific is, well, exactly how it sounds. It is interpreting how one sees “beginnings.” What is meant between science and religion? These foundations are all used in the scientific understanding of hermeneutics. At least, that’s what I got out of it.

Who Am I?

            Now we move to Philosophical Hermeneutics, which is “a general philosophy of existence.”⁶ By reading more into the philosophy category, the individual learns that human beings interpret because it is who they are, what they’re intended purpose is. We live to interpret things because that’s exactly what we are – Interpreters.

            The final category of the main five is Depth Hermeneutics, also known as Hermeneutics of Suspicion. Basically, this means that no matter who we are or what we do, we are constantly aware of social dogma and oppression, and we want to break free of it. We call this “depth” because it goes beyond consciousness, into the subconscious. Research made by Karl Marx and Sigmund Freud support this theory that, under the mind, we want to separate from this social degradation.

             

To conclude this article of research, I would again like you to view another image for interpreting purposes:

Abstract Image

This abstract photo shows just enough vagueness so that when asked “What is this a picture of?” the answer will be different almost every time. We will view it together, probably agree on the letters A and I, but that’s where our sameness in interpretation will end. Hermeneutics show that, as a whole, we are similar (to a point), but when we get down to the nitty-gritty, no one is similar. What makes the whole study fascinating is how each individual SEES his/her own life, through perceptions of imagination, and that, my friend, is worth interpreting. 

Citations 1-6 were found in the "Hermeneutics" class notes