3. Ways In and Out of the Hermeneutic Circle

Introduction to Theory of Literature (ENGL 300)
In this lecture, Professor Paul Fry examines acts of reading and interpretation by way of the theory of hermeneutics. The origins of hermeneutic thought are traced through Western literature. The mechanics of hermeneutics, including the idea of a hermeneutic circle, are explored in detail with reference to the works of Hans-George Gadamer, Martin Heidegger, and E. D. Hirsch. Particular attention is paid to the emergence of concepts of "historicism" and "historicality" and their relation to hermeneutic theory.
00:00 - Chapter 1. The History of Hermeneutics
10:32 - Chapter 2. The Hermeneutic Circle
20:37 - Chapter 3. On Prejudice
23:45 - Chapter 4. Historicism and "Historicality"
27:48 - Chapter 5. Gadamer's Debt to Heidegger
33:21 - Chapter 6. Prejudice and Tradition
37:20 - Chapter 7. E. D. Hirsch
Complete course materials are available at the Open Yale Courses website: open.yale.edu/courses
This course was recorded in Spring 2009.