Modern and Contemporary Studies: Truth and Method. Fifty Years After: Gadamerian Resonances in the Humanities
Timetable
Friday, 13-15 hr
Van Wijkplaats 4, room 004
Method of Instruction
Discussion group
Description
This course focuses on a classic study of interpretation which appeared exactly half a century ago, Hans-Georg Gadamer’s _Truth and Method _(1960). Among philosophers and theologians, the work has enjoyed a spectacular reception history, while its impact on the fields of art history and literary studies has also been evident.
Despite its misleading title Gadamer’s hermeneutic approach may be characterized as distinctively un_methodological. Rather than providing a systematic _theory of interpretation he advocates an attitude of fundamental openness towards the practice of interpretation which is epitomized by his own creed, “Der Andere könnte recht haben” (“The other might be right”).
The past decades have witnessed a growing interest in some of the central themes addressed by Truth and Method, such as the inseparability of the interpreter and his object of investigation, and the mediated, context-bound nature of all knowledge. In this seminar we reread the book, not as an act of pious commemoration but primarily with an eye to its relevance for these broader themes. In doing so, we intend to benefit from the recent birth of Leiden’s Faculty of Humanities from the former faculties of Philosophy, Religious Studies, and the Arts, all of which will make their own contribution to this evaluation of the ‘Gadamerian turn’.
N.B.: Following the course the university will host an international and interdisciplinary conference, “_Truth and Method _Fifty Years After”, in the summer of 2010.
Workload
280 hrs, to be distributed as follows: – 28 hrs for class attendance – 14 hrs for preparation of guided discussion assignments – 56 hrs for preparation of the exam
-182 hrs for preparation of the weekly readings
Course objectives
- Students acquire insight into some crucial cultural debates concerning the status of interpretation and the nature of knowledge; – They are encouraged to develop a critical and interdisciplinary perspective with regard to problems of interpretation; – They learn to situate Gadamerian hermeneutics within the broader frameworks of cultural studies and cultural analysis.
Required reading
Gadamer, Hans-Georg, Wahrheit und Methode. Grundzügen einer philosophischen Hermeneutik. 1960. Günter Figal (ed.). Klassiker Auslegen, Bd. 30. First edition. Berlin: Akademie Verlag GmbH: 2007.
N.B.: The work is available in English translation. The most recent edition is Gadamer, Hans-Georg, Truth and Method. Second, revised edition. Translation revised by Joel Weinsheimer and Donald G. Marshall. London and New York: Continuum, 2004.Ibid., Wer bin ich und wer bist du? Ein Kommentar zu Paul Celan’s Gedichtenfolge Atemkristall. Frankfurt a. Main: Suhrkamp, 2004.
N.B.: This text, too, is available in English translation:
Gadamer, Hans-Georg (on Celan): Who Am I And Who Are You? and Other Essays. Gadamer on Celan. SUNY Series in Contemporary Continental Philosophy. Eds. And English translation Bruce Krajewski and Richard Heinemann. Albany: SUNY Press, 1997.
Examination
- Guided discussion assignment (20%) – Written examination consisting of essay questions (80%)
Information
For information please contact dr. Madeleine Kasten
Registration
For registration please contact Pallas secretary Mrs. Lia ten Brink
Blackboard
This course is supported by Blackboard (communication, assignments, discussion board).