Gadamer and Hermeneutics

Gadarmer’s hermeneutics is explained. Truth and Method is reviewed closely and his critique of aesthetic theory and preceding forms of hermeneutics are seen as evoking a satisfactory expression of interpretation in post-Heideggerian hermeneutics. Gadamer’s reading of the open and inclusive character of hermeneutics is highlighted and notably his understanding of historical interpretation as a fusion of past and present horizons is explained. It is seen to provide a rich account of the interplay between present and past without furnishing a complete account of interpretation. Gadamer’s emphasis upon interpretation is welcomed but his relatively uncritical treatment of the notions of tradition and prejudice are criticized.