Hermeneutics as Critique: Science, Politics, Race, and Culture

Hermeneutics is a valuable tool for critical theory and addressing urgent issues, demonstrating interpretive advantages over competing explanatory modalities. It can help unpack intractable problems in philosophy of science, multiculturalism, social epistemology, and racial and social justice. This book shows how hermeneutics can partner with critical theory to achieve emancipatory aims.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 256 pages
Publication date: 02 March 2021
Publisher: Columbia University Press

Hermeneutics, a discipline often perceived as limited to literary and textual analysis, has faced criticism for being considered Eurocentric or inherently relativistic, rendering it unsuitable for social critique. However, Lorenzo C. Simpson presents a compelling and influential argument that hermeneutics holds immense value not only in critical theory but also in addressing numerous pressing concerns of our time. Through his meticulous exploration, Simpson showcases the distinct interpretive advantages of hermeneutics compared to other explanatory modalities. While hermeneutics shares certain similarities with pragmatism, such as a skepticism towards essentialism, an acknowledgment of situated disagreements, and a commitment to the dialogical nature of understanding, it resolutely rejects the relativistic accounts of rationality often associated with pragmatism. Drawing inspiration from Gadamer's philosophy, Simpson firmly establishes hermeneutics as a valuable resource for both philosophy and the social sciences. He demonstrates its applicability in unraveling complex issues within the realm of science philosophy, multiculturalism, social epistemology, and racial and social justice on a global scale. Simpson addresses contentious topics such as the lack of empirical grounding in recent claims about the biological basis of "race," the complexities of addressing female genital excision without perpetuating ethnocentrism, and the establishment of foundations for meaningful cross-cultural dialogue and reparative justice. This book unveils the potential of hermeneutics as a worthy partner with critical theory in pursuing emancipatory goals.

Weight: 310g
Dimension: 139 x 215 x 16 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780231196857