On The Way To Understanding

Hermeneutics was only an understanding skill in the western world in early stages, but it became a methodology and even a philosophy in later times. Base on hermeneutics'history, this paper explores post-modern transition of hermeneutics and explains Gadamer's philosophical hermeneutics from a new perspective. The analysis contains three chapters.Chapter I: Looking back the history, the traditional hermeneutics theory of Schleiermacher and Dilthey pursued a methodology of universal understanding or human science, so as to reach the objectivity. This reflects the features of modernity. But in Heidegger's view, understanding is the existent manner of human. This theory overthrew methodology consciousness of subject controlling object in modern philosophy and began post-modern transition. Gadamer inherited and developed Heidegger's theory, created philosophical hermeneutics, demonstrating a strong post-modernity consciousness.Chapter II: Post-modernity of Gadamer's philosophical hermeneutics has four aspects. First is to reject scientific methodology. Philosophical hermeneutics is a philosophy to discover the hermeneutics itself, not a methodology. Secondly, understanding is a play that both readers and works participate in. Third is the confirmation of understanding's historicity. Prejudice is the condition of understanding, so people can not get rid of history. The last is that understanding is an event of effective history. These viewpoints are the deviation from the objectivity, universality and uniqueness.Chapter III: Post-modern transition caused many disputes that made the hermeneutics move forward. Paul Ricoeur based on the text and adopted each theory's advantage, and created text hermeneutics. Gadamer reflected himself and tended towards practical philosophy. He anatomized the abuse of modern civilization by emphasizing practical philosophy, and went on to criticize and review the modernity and civilization of science and technology.Gadamer is a philosopher full of sense of social responsibility. He dedicated to the philosophy and deserves our respects and investigation.