HERMENEUTICS OF WILHELM DILTHEY

1.0 Introduction

Hermeneutics is a science of interpretation. It does the work of interpreting texts. In the

early period Bible texts used to be interpreted. Interpretation used to sacred. Later on, the
philosopher developed the understanding of interpretation and developed it into a
discipline named, Hermeneutics. We may be aware or not but we do interpret every day in
our life, reading, writing, experiencing, etc. It has become part of normal life.

In this assignment I will deal with Wilhelm Dilthey’s concept of Hermeneutics. I will try
to bring into light the terms Dilthey has used for explaining this discipline.

1.1 What is Hermeneutics?

According to Oxford Dictionary Hermeneutics is the branch of knowledge that deals with
interpretation, especially of Bible or literary texts. The word Hermeneutics is derived
from the Greek word “hermêneuô” which means ‘to interpret’.1

Hermeneutics plays a role in number of discipline whose subject matter demands

interpretative approaches, characteristically, because the disciplinary subject matter
concerns the meaning of human intentions, beliefs, and actions, or the meaning of human
experience as it is preserved in the arts and literature, historical testimony, and other
artifacts.2 Traditionally, discipline that rely on hermeneutics include theology, especially
Biblical studies, jurisprudence3, and medicine, as well as some of the human sciences,
social sciences, and humanities. Hermeneutics is sometimes also called as philosophy of
Interpretation. Philosophically, it concerns with the meaning of interpretation- its basic
nature, scope and validity, as well as its place within and implications for human
existence; and it treats interpretation in the context of fundamental philosophical
questions about being and knowing, language and history, art and aesthetic experience,
and practical life.4

1
“Hermeneutics,” Accessed 20 August 2023, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermeneutics
2
Standford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, “Hermeneutics,” Accessed 20 August 2023,
https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/hermeneutics/
3
Jurisprudence means the scientific study of law, See Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, 9th ed., s. v.
“jurisprudence.”
4
Standford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, “Hermeneutics.”
1
1.2 Life and Work of Dilthey

The German Philosopher, historian, psychologist, sociologist, and hermeneutic

philosopher Wilhelm Dilthey was born in 1833 in the village of Biebrich in the Duchy of
Nassau, Germany.5 As a young man he studied theology at Heidelberg University. In 1864
he received his doctorate from Berlin with a thesis in Latin on Schleiermacher’s ethics
and in the same year he also earned his habilitation with a thesis on moral consciousness.6

Dilthey is best known for his contribution to the theory of the human sciences and
hermeneutics. He distinguished natural sciences from human sciences. He defined the
human sciences broadly to include both the humanities and the social sciences.7 He
argued that the core task of the human sciences is to be that of providing an understanding
of the organizational structures and dynamic forces of human and historical life whereas
the task of natural sciences is to arrive at a law-based causal explanation.8

1.3 Dilthey’s Concept of Erlebnis

Dilthey's concept of Erlebnis is often translated as "lived experience" or "immediate

experience."9 It is the basic unit of human experience, and it is the foundation of the
human sciences. Erlebnis is characterized by its immediacy, its temporality, and its
individuality.10 Erlebnis is immediate in the sense that it is not mediated by concepts or
ideas. It is the raw experience of the world, untainted by interpretation. It is temporal in
the sense that it is always situated in time. It is the experience of a particular moment, and
it is always changing. It is individual in the sense that it is unique to each person. No two
people experience the world in exactly the same way. Dilthey argued that the human
sciences must be based on the study of Erlebnis. 11 He believed that the natural sciences,
which are concerned with the explanation of natural phenomena, cannot provide a

5
“Wilhelm Dilthey,” Accessed 20 August 2023, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilhelm_Dilthey
6
“Wilhelm Dilthey.”
7
Standford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, “Wilhelm Dilthey,” Accessed 20 August 2023,
https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/dilthey/
8
Standford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, “Wilhelm Dilthey.”
9
Philosophy Dictionary on Argument, “Wilhelm Dilthey on Experience,” Accessed 20 August 2023,
https://philosophy-science-humanities-controversies.com/listview-details.php?
id=959481&a=a&first_name=Wilhelm&author=Dilthey&concept=Experience
10
Philosophy Dictionary on Argument, “Wilhelm Dilthey on Experience.”
11
Rahul G., “The Concept of Erlebnis: The Constitutive Difference between the Natural Cultural Objects in
the Philosophy of Wilhelm Dilthey” Ph.D. diss. (University Microfilm International, 1980), 13, Accessed
20 August 2023, https://www.proquest.com/openview/8a6699c9a64b709ab3b226c0ba0d3e42/1?pq-
origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750&diss=y
2
complete understanding of human life. 12 The human sciences, on the other hand, must
focus on understanding the meaning of human experience.13

1.4 Hermeneutic Circle

The hermeneutic circle is a concept in hermeneutics, the theory of interpretation, that
describes the process of understanding a text or other cultural artifact.14 It is a circular
process in which the interpreter's understanding of the whole text is constantly informed
by their understanding of the individual parts, and vice versa.15 It was first described by
the German philosopher Wilhelm Dilthey in his book Introduction to the Human Sciences
(1883). He argued that the human sciences, such as history and psychology, are concerned
with understanding human experience, which is always mediated by language and other
symbols.16 In order to understand a text, the interpreter must therefore interpret the
symbols that the author uses to express their experience.

The hermeneutic circle is a recursive process in which the interpreter's understanding of

the text is constantly revised as they learn more about the individual parts and the whole
text.17 This process is never complete, as there is always more to learn about the text.

The hermeneutic circle has been criticized by some philosophers who argue that it leads
to circular reasoning.18 However, Dilthey and other proponents of the hermeneutic circle
argue that it is a necessary part of the process of understanding human experience.

1.5 Distinction between Explanation and Understanding

Wilhelm Dilthey made a distinction between explanation and understanding in the human
sciences. He argued that the natural sciences are concerned with explanation, while the
human sciences are concerned with understanding. 19 Explanation is the process of
identifying the causes of a phenomenon. It is a process of finding laws and regularities
that can be used to predict future events. 20 Understanding is the process of grasping the

12
Suman, Hermeneutics (Varanasi: Vishwa Jyoti Gurukul), received on July 2023.
13
Suman, Hermeneutics (Varanasi: Vishwa Jyoti Gurukul), received on July 2023.
14
Standford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, “Hermeneutics.”
15
“Hermeneutic Circle,” Accessed 20 August 2023,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermeneutic_circle#:~:text=Thus%20Dilthey%20says%3A
%20%22Meaningfulness%20fundamentally,a%20nexus%20prior%20to%20the
16
“Hermeneutic Circle.”
17
“Hermeneutic Circle.”
18
Ness Labs, “The Hermeneutic Circle: A key to critical reading,” Accessed 20 August 2023,
https://nesslabs.com/hermeneutic-circle
19
Suman, Hermeneutics (Varanasi: Vishwa Jyoti Gurukul), received on July 2023.
20
Suman, Hermeneutics (Varanasi: Vishwa Jyoti Gurukul), received on July 2023.
3
meaning of a phenomenon. It is a process of putting oneself in the shoes of the other
person and seeing the world from their perspective.21

Dilthey argued that the human sciences cannot use the same methods of explanation as
the natural sciences because human beings are not simply physical objects. 22 Human
beings are also subjects, and they have the capacity for understanding and meaning-
making.

The human sciences, therefore, must use a different method of inquiry, namely, the
method of hermeneutics. Hermeneutics is the art of interpreting texts and other cultural
artifacts.23 It is a process of understanding the meaning that people have given to their
experiences.

1.7 Conclusion

In this paper, I have dealt with the Hermeneutic of Wilhelm Dilthey. I have explained the
meaning of Hermeneutics and the root of the term hermeneutics. Briefly, I have shown
light on the life and work of Wilhelm Dilthey. I have explained the distinction Dilthey had
made between explanation and understanding. I have explained the types of hermeneutics
according to Dilthey.

21
Suman, Hermeneutics (Varanasi: Vishwa Jyoti Gurukul), received on July 2023.
22
Standford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, “Wilhelm Dilthey.”
23
Suman, Hermeneutics (Varanasi: Vishwa Jyoti Gurukul), received on July 2023.
4
 BIBLIOGRAPHY

Online:

“Hermeneutics.” Accessed 20 August 2023.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermeneutics

Standford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, “Hermeneutics.” Accessed 20 August

2023. https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/hermeneutics/

Standford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, “Wilhelm Dilthey.” Accessed 20

August 2023, https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/dilthey/

Philosophy Dictionary on Argument, “Wilhelm Dilthey on Experience,”

Accessed 20 August 2023, https://philosophy-science-humanities-
controversies.com/listview-

Rahul G., “The Concept of Erlebnis: The Constitutive Difference between

the Natural Cultural Objects in the Philosophy of Wilhelm Dilthey” PhD
diss. (University Microfilm International, 1980), 13, Accessed 20 August
2023,
https://www.proquest.com/openview/8a6699c9a64b709ab3b226c0ba0d3e42/
1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750&diss=y

“Hermeneutic Circle,” Accessed 20 August 2023,

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermeneutic_circle#:~:text=Thus%20Dilthey
%20says%3A%20%22Meaningfulness%20fundamentally,a%20nexus
%20prior%20to%20the

5
Ness Labs, “The Hermeneutic Circle: A key to critical reading,” Accessed 20
August 2023, https://nesslabs.com/hermeneutic-circle

Others:

Suman, Hermeneutics (Varanasi: Vishwa Jyoti Gurukul), received on July

2023.