Gadamer’s Hermeneutics – from “Philosophy of Listening” to Literary-Theoretic Praxis

Abstract

Polazeći od osnovnih postavki Gadamerove filozofske hermeneutike, u članku se tematizira mogućnost njene primjene u književnoj teoriji. Prostor Gadamerova promišljanja, a tako i njegove hermeneutike, otvara pitanje »kako je moguće razumijevanje«? Odgovori na to pitanje impliciraju etičko-estetski zahtjev »filozofije slušanja« u kojoj se mora uspostaviti dijalektika pitanja i odgovora. Proces dolaska do značenja tako se odvija u jeziku, koji nam omogućuje, u najgorem slučaju, da se stvari barem približimo, ako ne i da je razumijemo. Tumačeva situacija obilježena je njegovim predrasud(b)ama, preduvjerenjima (Vorurteil), a situacija teksta prezencijom, ali i temporalnošću. Upravo je temporalnost umjetničkog djela osnova Gadamerovu poimanju tradicije, odnosno predaje, kojoj, pod Heideggerovim utjecajem, Gadamer pridaje regulativni karakter. Procijep između dvaju horizonata, tradicijsko-povijesnog i predrasudno-tumačeva, rješava se »stapanjem horizonata« (Horizontverschmelzung) kao krajnjim ishodom dijaloga, a to stapanje ujedno postaje temeljem razumijevanja. Iako je Gadamerova hermeneutika bila kritizirana, ona je ujedno nezaobilazna u proučavanjima interpretacije (književnog) teksta.Beginning with basic postulates of Gadamer’s philosophical hermeneutics, the article challenges the possibility of its application in literary theory. Ther space of Gadamer’s thought, as well as his hermeneutics, opens up a question: “how understanding is possible”? The answers to that question implicate ethico-aesthetical claim of “philosophy of listening” where this dialectics of questions and answers should be established. The proccess of coming to meaning is happening in language, that makes possible, in the worst circumastances, at least to approach to the matter of things, if not to understand it. The interpreteur’s situation is marked with his prejudices, prethinking (Vorurteil), and the situation of a text by its presence, as well as with temporality. It is precisely temporality of artwork, that is the foundation of Gadamer’s conception of tradition, i.e. heritage, which is, under Heidegger’s influence, supplied by regulative characteristics. The gap between two horizons – traditionally-historical and prejudice-interpreteur’s – is solved by “merging of horizons” (Horizontverschmelzung) as the final result of dialogue, and that merging is at the same time the basics of understanding. Even though Gadamer’s hermeneutics was criticized, it was also unsourmountable in the studies of interpreting (literary) texts