Theories of language, linguistic and non linguistic communication are diverse. In the Humanities there are so many interpretative tools. These tools are means to an end and not the end in themselves. Just as we have equations in the natural sciences so do we have theoretical frameworks, literary criticisms and approaches to literature and the communication arts in the Humanities. These interpretative tools are keys to opening and analyzing works in the Humanities and other disciplines. Most of these theories are borrowed from other disciplines other than the ones exploiting them. In the literary sciences, rooms are given for inter-textual interpretations as well as for interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary approaches. Hence one could analyze a given fiction, drama or poem using one or more approaches as the case may be. At the primary and secondary school level, essays are simply written and novels are simply read and interpreted by simple minds. But at the tertiary educational level, one would expect the reader, the critic or the recipient to be thorough, analytical and scientific in his appraisal of the text before him. In receptions-theory the analytical mind is not left empty handed in this art of researching on or beyond the text .For one to access these tools effectively one must be equipped with literary terms. Interpretative tools are legion. Some are text-centered and linguistic and others are extra-textual and non linguistic. Hermeneutics and the sister theoretical frameworks like the positivism, formalism, explication de texte, New Criticism, Structuralism, post-structuralism, Semiotics, de-construction etc are text-centered interpretative tools while the society based theories like Marxist-socialism, psycho-analytic theory, feminism, receptions-theory, racial theory, cultural and intercultural studies, Literature and the media, literature and history, literature and biography etc fall under the beyond textual interpretative approaches. Our interest in this exercise is on the raw textual analytic approach. Many students usually prefer the easier approaches which are mostly society based and abhor the dry and puritanist approaches. This paper is aimed at introducing the audience to the rigors of scientific approaches to the study of texts, images and languages.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction.
2. Hermeneutics.
3. Theory of Interpretation.
4. Hermeneutics in the Humanities and Literary Sciences.
5. Case-Study and Application (New Criticism).
6. General Application Of The Theory of Hermeneutics.
7. Conclusion.
8. Possible Findings.
Objectives and Topics
This work aims to introduce the reader to the rigorous scientific methods of interpreting texts, images, and languages within the humanities. It emphasizes the importance of text-centered analytic approaches—specifically hermeneutics—to foster academic discipline, logical precision, and a deeper understanding of cultural and communicative works.
- The theoretical foundations and methodology of hermeneutics.
- The application of scientific, text-centered interpretive tools in literary sciences.
- A detailed case study using New Criticism on the works of Edgar Allan Poe.
- The broader relevance of hermeneutic principles in professional and administrative governance.
- Critique of the current preference for society-based approaches over rigorous textual analysis in academia.
Excerpt from the Book
The Fall of the House of Usher (1839)
During the whole of a dull, dark, and soundless day in the autumn of the year, when the clouds hung oppressively low in the heavens, I had been passing alone, on horseback, through a singularly dreary tract of country; and at length found myself, as the shades o the evening drew on, within view of the melancholy House of Usher. I knew not how it was – but, with the first glimpse of the building, a sense of insufferable gloom pervaded my spirit. I say insufferable; for the feeling was unrelieved by any of that half-pleasurable, because poetic, sentiment with which the mind usually nrecieves even the sternest natural images of the desolate or terrible.
I looked upon the scene before me-upon the mere house, and the simple landscape features of the domain, upon the bleak walls, upon the vacant eye-like windows, upon a few rank sedges, and upon a few white trunks of decayed trees – with an utter depression of soul which I can compare to no earthly sensation more properly than to the afterdream of the reveler upon opium; the bitter lapse into everyday life, the hideous dropping off of the veil. There was iciness, a sinking, a sickening of the heart, an unredeemed dreariness of thought which no goading of the imagination could torture into aught of the sublime. What was it – I paused to thing – what was it that so unnerved me in the contemplation of the House of Usher?
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction.: This chapter establishes the diversity of interpretative tools in the humanities and highlights the necessity for a thorough, analytical, and scientific approach to text appraisal at the tertiary education level.
2. Hermeneutics.: This chapter defines hermeneutics as the theory and methodology of interpretation, tracing its etymological roots from the Greek deity Hermes and its historical evolution within philosophy and theology.
3. Theory of Interpretation.: This chapter examines the foundations of semiotics and interpretation, specifically referencing Aristotle’s De Interpretatione and the historical development of scriptural exegesis.
4. Hermeneutics in the Humanities and Literary Sciences.: This chapter discusses how the scientific revolution influenced literary studies to become a more rigorous, text-centered discipline, drawing comparisons between various formalist and structuralist approaches.
5. Case-Study and Application (New Criticism).: This chapter applies the methodologies of Close Reading and New Criticism to the works of Edgar Allan Poe, analyzing his narrative techniques and artistic influence.
6. General Application Of The Theory of Hermeneutics.: This chapter argues for the universal necessity of hermeneutic principles across various modern professional fields, emphasizing the need for accuracy and logical precision.
7. Conclusion.: This chapter summarizes the merits of hermeneutic approaches and their importance for graduates and researchers in all academic disciplines.
8. Possible Findings.: This chapter evaluates the socio-political implications of neglecting rigorous hermeneutic training, suggesting that a return to precise textual analysis could improve clarity in academic and administrative governance.
Keywords
Hermeneutics, Literary Theory, Theory of Interpretation, New Criticism, Close Reading, Humanities, Scientific Scholarship, Textual Analysis, Edgar Allan Poe, Semiotics, Methodology, Exegesis, Literary Sciences, Cultural Studies, Academic Rigor
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this work?
The work focuses on introducing the reader to the rigorous scientific methods of text interpretation, specifically advocating for the use of hermeneutics as a primary analytical tool in the humanities.
What are the central themes discussed in the book?
Central themes include the methodology of hermeneutics, the history of interpretation, the application of New Criticism, and the significance of scientific precision in literary and non-literary communication.
What is the core research goal?
The primary goal is to encourage a shift toward more disciplined, text-centered analytical approaches in academic research to overcome the limitations of purely society-based interpretations.
Which scientific methods are primarily utilized?
The work highlights methods such as Hermeneutics, New Criticism, Close Reading, Formalism, Structuralism, and Explication de Texte.
What topics are covered in the main section of the book?
The main sections cover the definition and history of hermeneutics, the foundations of interpretation theory, the application of these methods to literature, and a case study on Edgar Allan Poe.
How would you characterize the work using keywords?
Key terms defining the work are Hermeneutics, Literary Theory, New Criticism, Close Reading, Textual Analysis, Scientific Scholarship, and Humanities.
How does the author relate the literary analysis of Poe to the "House of Usher"?
The author uses Poe’s story as a practical application of "Close Reading," analyzing how the narrative structure and the descriptive imagery of the mansion serve to mirror the protagonist’s inward psychological state.
Why does the author advocate for applying these literary methods to governance?
The author argues that the discipline, logic, and precision learned through rigorous textual analysis are transferable skills that could lead to clearer thinking and better decision-making in administrative and public governance.
- Citation du texte
- Dr. Dr. Ikechukwu Aloysius Orjinta (Auteur), 2012, Hermeneutics as a Theory of Interpretation and as a Literary Theory, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/191148
