Art of interpretation
Art of interpretation is a German term coined in the Enlightenment (18th century) to denote hermeneutics , which was previously treated under the Latin title of "Hermeneutica universalis". The art of interpretation is thus a forerunner of modern hermeneutics.
An important exponent of the art of interpretation is Georg Friedrich Meier , who in 1757 in his publication "Attempt at a general art of interpretation" (reprinted in 1965) in § 1 described the art of interpretation as follows:
“The art of interpretation in the broader sense […] is the science of rules, through the observation of which the meanings from their signs can be recognized; the art of interpretation in the narrower sense [...] is the science of the rules that one has to observe if one wants to recognize the meaning of speech and present it to others. "
In addition, an important contribution to the art of interpretation comes from Johann Martin Chladenius (1710–1759), who is considered to be the founder of modern history . In his "Introduction to the correct interpretation of reasonable speeches and writings" 1742 (reprinted 1969) he developed general rules for the interpretation of historical and dogmatic (teaching) writings. Today's hermeneutics particularly appreciate his doctrine of the point of view (perspective).
Both Meier and Chladenius deal with the art of interpretation in their own work, after it was previously mostly within logic and the theory of reason (as with Johannes Clauberg , Christian Thomasius and Christian Wolff ). By bringing the art of interpretation closer to semiotics and Chladenius particularly emphasizing the role of the so-called 'lower cognitive faculties', Meier's conceptions lead on the one hand beyond the rationalism of the Enlightenment. On the other hand, its strict systematic form, the orientation towards scientific principles and the conception of a primarily rational author are typical expressions of the general assumptions of the Enlightenment.
See also
literature
- Georg Friedrich Meier: Attempt at a general art of interpretation . With an introduction and note ed. by Axel Bühler and Luigi Cataldi Madonna. Meiner, Hamburg 1996, ISBN 978-3-7873-1236-8 (original edition from 1757).