Abstract
This paper seeks to point the way towards a new articulation between hermeneutics and pragmatism. The founders of pragmatism in large part ignored the hermeneutic tradition, while the founders of hermeneutics focused above all on the scholarly pursuit of textual interpretation. The textual paradigm is undeniably important; it enables us to understand, analogically, the way in which action appears to us as “meaningful” and “fixed” (Ricœur, Geertz, Alexander), but it is not sufficient for analyzing our ordinary activities in their situational context. Pragmatism reorients hermeneutics towards a stronger focus on problematic situations that call for interpretive effort. Pragmatism and hermeneutics together make it possible to rethink social theory by identifying different ways of understanding sociosigns from spontaneous understanding to the most reflective forms of understanding.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Notes
My thanks to Jean-François Côté for kindly drawing my attention to this key aspect of Mead’s work.
References
Abel, G. (2011). Langage, signes et interprétation. Vrin
Benford, R., & Snow, D. (2000). Framing processes and social movements: An overview and assessment. Annual Review of Sociology, 26, 611–639
Castoriadis, Cornelius. (1975). L’institution imaginaire de la société Paris: Seuil
Citton, Y. (2010). L’avenir des humanités. Economie de la connaissance ou cultures de l’interprétation. La Découverte
Davidson, D. (1984). Inquiries into Truth and Interpretation. Oxford University Press
Descola, P. (2005). Par-delà nature et culture. Gallimard
Dewey, J. (1938). Logic: The Theory of Inquiry. Henry Holt
Dilthey, W. (2002). In R. A. Makkreel & F. Rodi (Eds.), The Formation of the Historical World in the Human Sciences. Princeton University Press
Gadamer, H.-G. (1991). Truth and method. Translated by Joel Weinsheimer and Donald G. Marshall. Crossroad
Garfinkel, H. (1967). Studies in ethnomethodology. Prentice-Hall
Hoffmeyer, J. (2008). Semiotic scaffolding of living systems. In M. Barbieri (Ed.), Introduction to biosemiotics: The new biological synthesis (pp. 149–166).
Klinkenberg, J.-M. (1996). Précis de sémiologie générale. Points
Mead, G.-H. (1908). The philosophical basis for ethics. International Journal of Ethics, 18, 311–323
Mead, G.-H. (2015). Mind, self, and society. University of Chicago Press
Michel, J. (2019). Homo interpretans. Towards of transformation of hermeneutics, translated by David Pellauer, preface Hans Joas, 2019. Rowman
Patočka, J. (1996). Heretical essays in the philosophy of history. Translated by Erazim Kohák. Open Court
Peirce, C. S. (1991). In J. Hoopes (Ed.), Peirce on signs (p. 1991). University of North Carolina Press
Rastier, F. (2009). Sémantique interprétative. Presses universitaires de France
Schleiermacher, F. (1998). Hermeneutics and criticism and other writings. Translated and Edited by Andrew Bowie. Cambridge University Press
Schütz, A. (1944). The stranger: an essay in social psychology. American Journal of Sociology, 49, 499–507
Schütz, A. (1964). In A. Brodersen (Ed.), Collected papers II: Studies in social theory (pp. 91–105). Martinus Nijhoff
Shusterman, R. (1991). Beneath Interpretation. In J. F. Bohman, D. R. Hiley, & R. Shusterman (Eds.), The interpretive turn: Philosophy, science, culture (pp. 102–128). Cornell University Press
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of Interest
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
Additional information
Publisher’s Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Michel, J. Pragmatism of Understanding and Interpretation. Am Soc 52, 782–797 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12108-021-09499-9
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12108-021-09499-9