Thesis advisor: John Sallis / In comparing hermeneutic application to Aristotle's concept of phronêsis, Hans-Georg Gadamer insists that historical interpretation is not just a theoretical but also a practical task pertaining to human conduct as such. It is said to involve a similar level of self-understanding that acknowledges one's historical and linguistic situation, bearing strong connections to the intersubjective exercise of judgment and the development of freedom. This dissertation investigates these claims by presenting a detailed analysis of Gadamer's concepts of historical effect [Wirkungsgeschichte] and the reflective consciousness thereof [wirkungsgeschichtliches Bewusstsein]. I delineate Gadamer's position in part through engagement with contemporary debates and misunderstandings of his stance, and in part by setting it in contrast with several central figures who influenced his notions of tradition and freedom: Kant, Hegel, and Heidegger. This contrasting move helps on the one hand to reveal just how fruitful Gadamer's concepts are, and on the other to underscore that Gadamer enacts the very dialogical relation to tradition that he elucidates in his hermeneutics. On the basis of these developments, it is possible to see more clearly the ethical relevance Gadamer takes hermeneutics to have, and to grasp in particular the importance he places upon historical engagement within the humanities. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2012. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Philosophy.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:BOSTON/oai:dlib.bc.edu:bc-ir_101565 |
| Date | January 2012 |
| Creators | Veith, Jerome David |
| Publisher | Boston College |
| Source Sets | Boston College |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text, thesis |
| Format | electronic, application/pdf |
| Rights | Copyright is held by the author, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise noted. |
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