Hermeneutics and truth

from alētheia to attestation

Sebastian Purcell

pp. 175-195

in: Scott Davidson, Marc-Antoine Vallée (eds), Hermeneutics and phenomenology in Paul Ricoeur, Berlin, Springer, 2016

Abstract

This essay aims to correct a prevalent misconception about Paul Ricoeur's hermeneutics, which understands it to support a conception of human understanding as finite as Heidegger did, but in a more "conceptually conservative" way. The result is that Ricoeur's work is viewed as incapable of addressing the most pressing problems in contemporary Continental metaphysics. In response, it is argued that Ricoeur is in fact the first to develop an infinite hermeneutics, which develops Heidegger's sense of hermeneutics significantly. This position is demonstrated by tracing the itinerary from Heidegger's account of aletheia to Ricoeur's account of attestation. The conclusion, then, not only clears Ricoeur of the stated charges, but also presents a more viable path for the future of hermeneutics.

Cited authors

Heidegger Martin

Ricoeur Paul