Philosophy of Gadamer

The ideas of the German philosopher Hans-Georg Gadamer have had considerable influence both in their own right as the leading modern exposition of philosophical hermeneutics and interpreting the works of Heidegger Plato and Hegel. This work covers the trail of Gadamer's thought. Taking 'Truth and Method' (1960 translated 1975) as the axis of the interpretation of Gadamer's thought Jean Grondin lays out the key themes of the work - method humanism aesthetic judgement truth the work of history - with exemplary clarity. Gadamer's concerns are situated in the context of traditional philosophical issues showing for example how Gadamer both continues and significantly modifies the philosophical problem as it begins with Descartes and advances rather than simply follows Heidegger's treatment of the relationship of thinking and language. In this way Grondin shows how the issues of philosophical hermeneutics are relevant for contemporary concerns in science and history.