The Democratic Theory of Hans-Georg Gadamer
This book examines the distinctive contribution that the writings of Hans-Georg Gadamer make to democratic theory. Walhof argues that Gadamer’s hermeneutical philosophy enlarges our perspective by shifting our view away from individual citizens to what ex
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HA N S -G E O RG GA DA ME R Darren Walhof
The Democratic Theory of Hans-Georg Gadamer
Darren Walhof
The Democratic Theory of Hans- Georg Gadamer
Darren Walhof Political Science Grand Valley State University Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA
ISBN 978-3-319-46863-1 ISBN 978-3-319-46864-8 (eBook) DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-46864-8 Library of Congress Control Number: 2016955252 © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 2017 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are solely and exclusively licensed by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. Cover image © Gary Waters / Alamy Stock Photo Printed on acid-free paper This Palgrave Macmillan imprint is published by Springer Nature The registered company is Springer International Publishing AG The registered company address is: Gewerbestrasse 11, 6330 Cham, Switzerland
Dedicated to the memory of Bernard Walhof, 1944–2012
Preface
and
Acknowledgements
“To see what is in front of one’s nose,” Orwell famously wrote in 1946, “needs a constant struggle” (Orwell 1968, 125). This is particularly true when it comes to the practices of democracy, and the central argument of this book is that the philosophical hermeneutics of Hans-Georg Gadamer helps us envision aspects of democracy that are right in front of our noses but difficult to see. His work helps us do this, I argue, by shifting our view away from the citizen-subject that underlies much of democratic theory and to that which exists between citizens. Broadly speaking, hermeneutics has to do with the theory or practice of interpretation. Originally the term referred to methods of interpreting sacred texts and legal documents, but the Romantic period saw its extension to the interpretation of a broader range of literary texts. The Historical School of the late nineteenth century further expanded the scope of hermeneutics to include history itself, detailing methods for discerning the intentions of historical actors and the meaning of historical events. As I explain more fully in Chap. 4, Gadamer develops his philosophical
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