Psychology Dictionary of ArgumentsHome
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| Perfection: Perfection is a state of completeness, flawlessness, or supreme excellence. It is an abstract concept that can be applied to many different things, such as people, objects, ideas, and actions. It is an ideal that may never be fully achieved. See also Ideas, Completeness._____________Annotation: The above characterizations of concepts are neither definitions nor exhausting presentations of problems related to them. Instead, they are intended to give a short introduction to the contributions below. – Lexicon of Arguments. | |||
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Hans-Georg Gadamer on Perfection - Dictionary of Arguments
I 298 Anticipation of Perfection/Hermeneutics/Gadamer: the [hermeneutic] circle is (...) of non-formal nature. It is neither subjective nor objective, but describes understanding as the interplay between the movement of tradition and the movement of the interpreter. The anticipation of meaning that guides our understanding of a text is not an act of subjectivity, but is determined by the commonality that connects us to tradition. This common ground, however, is in constant formation in our relationship to tradition. I 299 The (...) "anticipation of perfection" (...) is obviously a formal requirement that guides all understanding. It says that only that which really represents a perfect unity of meaning is understandable. So we always make this condition of perfection when we read a text, and only when this condition proves to be insufficient, i.e. when the text becomes incomprehensible, do we doubt the tradition and try to guess how to cure it. ((s) Cf. the philosophical theories on the >Principle of charity). Gadamer: (...) the correct application [of the rules] is not detachable from the understanding of the content. The anticipation of perfection, which guides all our understanding, thus proves itself to be a content-based understanding. Not only is an immanent unity of meaning assumed, which gives guidance to the reader, but the reader's understanding is also constantly guided by transcendent expectations of meaning, which arise from the relationship to the truth of what is meant. Truth: The prejudice of perfection thus contains not only this formalism that a text should express its opinion perfectly, but also that what it says is the perfect truth. I 300 Note: There is one exception to this prejudice of perfection: the case of the disguised or encrypted writing. This case poses the most difficult hermeneutical problems.(1) Cf. >Hermeneutics/Leo Strauss. 1. (Cf. the educational considerations by Leo Strauss in: Persecution and the Art of Writing). This exceptional case of hermeneutic behavior is insofar of exemplary importance, as here the pure interpretation of meaning is being exceeded in the same direction as when historical source criticism goes back behind the tradition. Although this is not a historical but a hermeneutical task, it can only be solved by using a factual understanding as the key. Only then can the disguise be deciphered - just as one understands irony in conversation to the extent that one is in fact in agreement with the other. The apparent exception thus confirms all the more that understanding implies agreement. Whether L. Strauss is always right in carrying out his principle, for example in Spinoza, is doubtful to me. "Disguise" implies a maximum of consciousness. Accomodation, conformism, etc. do not have to be conscious. In my opinion, Strauss did not pay enough attention to this. Cf. ibid. p. 223ff., as well as my work "Hermeneutik und Historismus", Vol. 2 of the Ges. Werke, p. 387 ff. In the meantime, these problems have - it seems to me, on a semantic basis - been much discussed. Cf. D. Davidson, Inquiries into Truth and Interpretation, Oxford 1984 ((s) >Radical Interpretation)._____________Explanation of symbols: Roman numerals indicate the source, arabic numerals indicate the page number. The corresponding books are indicated on the right hand side. ((s)…): Comment by the sender of the contribution. Translations: Dictionary of Arguments The note [Concept/Author], [Author1]Vs[Author2] or [Author]Vs[term] resp. "problem:"/"solution:", "old:"/"new:" and "thesis:" is an addition from the Dictionary of Arguments. If a German edition is specified, the page numbers refer to this edition. |
Gadamer I Hans-Georg Gadamer Wahrheit und Methode. Grundzüge einer philosophischen Hermeneutik 7. durchgesehene Auflage Tübingen 1960/2010 Gadamer II H. G. Gadamer The Relevance of the Beautiful, London 1986 German Edition: Die Aktualität des Schönen: Kunst als Spiel, Symbol und Fest Stuttgart 1977 |
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> Counter arguments against Gadamer
> Counter arguments in relation to Perfection
