Unquiet Understanding: Gadamer's Philosophical Hermeneutics (Suny Series in Contemporary Continental Philosophy) (Suny Contemporary Continental Philosophy)

Argues that Gadamers philosophical hermeneutics merits a radical reappraisal. This is the most enlightening introduction available to Gadamers philosophical hermeneutics. It redefines transcendence and translation in hermeneutical terms, but it goes substantially beyond this to offer an introduction to many other topics in philosophical hermeneutics. Richard E. Palmer, coeditor of Dialogue and The Gadamer-Derrida Encounter In Unquiet Understanding , Nicholas Davey reappropriates the radical content of Gadamers philosophical hermeneutics to reveal that it offers a powerful critique of Nietzsches philosophy of language, nihilism, and post-structuralist deconstructions of meaning. By critically engaging with the practical and ethical implications of philosophical hermeneutics, Davey asserts that the importance of philosophical hermeneutics resides in a formidable double claim that strikes at the heart of both traditional philosophy and deconstruction. He shows that to seek control over the fluid nature of linguistic meaning with rigid conceptual regimes or to despair of such fluidity because it frustrates hope for stable meaning is to succumb to nihilism. Both are indicative of a failure to appreciate that understanding depends upon the vital instability of the word. This innovative book demonstrates that Gadamers thought merits a radical reappraisal and that it is more provocative than commonly supposed. [an] excellent book Daveys exposure of the subversive, provocative, and conflictive character of hermeneutics remains the most innovative aspect of his text. Symposium In Nick Davey, Gadamers legacy finds a powerful advocate, who is similarly ready to distance himself from his subject, and his writings, in order the better to reconstruct their conceptual possibility, and thereby to provide the stronger account of what is philosophically distinctive in Gadamers reinvention of hermeneutics [a] fine book British Journal of Aesthetics Elegantly written, this book provides an engaging, original, and challenging reading of Gadamers hermeneutics. Davey offers an insightful clarification of the nature and specific contribution of hermeneutics as well as a revealing description of the wantonness of understanding. Jean Grondin, author of Sources of Hermeneutics In Unquiet Understanding, Nicholas Davey Reappropriates The Radical Content Of Gadamer's Philosophical Hermeneutics To Reveal That Is Offers A Powerful Critique Of Nietzsche's Philosophy Of Language, Nihilism, And Post-structuralist Deconstructions Of Meaning. By Critically Engaging With The Practical And Ethical Implications Of Philosophy Hermeneutics, Davey Asserts That The Importance Of Philosophical Hermeneutics Resides In A Formidable Double Claim That Strikes At The Heart Of Both Traditional Philosophy And Deconstruction--jacket. Philosophical Hermeneutics : Navigating The Approaches -- Eleven Theses On Philosophical Hermeneutics -- Hermeneutical Understanding Requires Difference -- Philosophical Hermeneutics Promotes A Philosophy Of Experience -- Philosophical Hermeneutics Entails A Commitment To Hermeneutic Realism -- Philosophical Hermeneutics Seeks Otherness Within The Historical -- Philosophical Hermeneutics Reinterprets Transcendence -- Philosophical Hermeneutics Entails An Ethical Disposition -- Hermeneutic Understanding Redeems The Negativity Of Its Constituting Differential -- Philosophical Hermeneutics Affirms An Ontology Of The In-between -- Philosophical Hermeneutics Is A Philosophical Practice Rather Than A Philosophical Method -- Philosophical Hermeneutics Is A Negative Hermeneutics -- Philosophical Hermeneutics Looks Upon Linguistic Being As A Mysterium -- Philosophical Hermeneutics And The Question Of Openness -- Philosophical Hermeneutics And Bildung --^ Bildung As A Transformative And Formative Process -- Bildung And Tradition -- Bildung And The Question Of Essence -- Bildung And The In-between -- Bildung And Hermeneutical Practice -- Bildung And Subject-matter ( Die Sache Selbst) -- Sachen As A Totality Of Meaning -- Die Sachen And Negative Dialectics -- Die Sachen And Plato's Forms -- Sachen, Cultural Communities And Cortesia -- Bildung And The Question Of Nihilism -- Conclusion -- Intimations Of Meaning : Philosophical Hermeneutics And The Defense Of Speculative Understanding -- What Is Speculative Thinking? -- The Formal Elements Of Speculative Thought -- The Speculative Motion Of Hermeneutic Experience -- The Defence Of Speculative Understanding -- The Speculative And The Humanistic -- Speculative Insight And The Unfounding Of Experience -- Language And The Dialectic Of Speculative Experience -- Nietzsche, Philosophical Hermeneutics, Language, And The Market Place -- Entr'acte -- Understanding's Disquiet --^ The Wantonness Of Understanding -- Four Responses To Deconstructive Criticism -- Philosophical Hermeneutics And The Question Of Alterity -- Nihilism And The Life Of Understanding -- Dialogue And Dialectic -- Language, Ideas And Sachen -- Keeping The Word In Play -- Choice Words -- The Poise Of The In-between -- The Giving Word -- Language And Withouteness -- Language Negation And Affirmation : A Resumé -- The Open And The Empty -- Understanding And The Disquieting Of The Self -- Di-alogue And Di-stance. Nicholas Davey. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 275-284) And Index. Philosophical hermeneutics : navigating the approaches Eleven theses on philosophical hermeneutics Hermeneutical understanding requires difference Philosophical hermeneutics promotes a philosophy of experience Philosophical hermeneutics entails a commitment to hermeneutic realism Philosophical hermeneutics seeks otherness within the historical Philosophical hermeneutics re-interprets transcendence Philosophical hermeneutics entails an ethical disposition Hermeneutic understanding redeems the negativity of its constituting differential Philosophical hermeneutics affirms an ontology of the in between Philosophical hermeneutics is philosophical practice rather than a philosophical method Philosophical hermeneutics is a negative hermeneutics Philosophical hermeneutics and the mysterium of linguistic being : philosophical hermeneutics and bildung Bildung as a transformative and formative process Bildung and tradition Bildung and the question of essence Bildung and the in-between Bildung and hermeneutical practice Bildung and subject-matter ( die sache selbst) Sachen as a totality of meaning Die sachen and negative dialectics Die sachen and plato's forms Sachen, cultural communities and cortesia Bildung and the question of nihilism : intimations of meaning : philosophical hermeneutics and the speculative What is speculative thinking? The formal elements of speculative thought The defence of speculative understanding The speculative and the humanistic Speculative insight and the "unfounding" of experience Language and the dialectic of speculative experience Nietzsche, philosophical hermeneutics and the market place of language Entr'acte Understanding's disquiet The wantonness of understanding Four responses to deconstructive criticism Philosophical hermeneutics and the question of alterity Nihilism and the life of understanding Dialogue and dialectic Language, ideas and sachen Keeping the word in play Choice words The poise of the in-between The giving word Language and withouteness Language negation and affirmation : a resumé The open and the empty Understanding and the disquieting of the self Dialogue and distance.