Philosophical Hermeneutics and the One and the Many

Abstract

The field of social and psychological theory is marked by an astounding degree of fragmentation and confusion. This situation derives in large part from a failure to resolve thorny questions about the entanglement of knowledge claims with historical contexts, cultural influences, and moral values. The philosopher Richard Bernstein argues that these difficulties reflect a struggle to find a way beyond the opposition and unresolved tension between broad philosophical outlooks of “objectivism” and “relativism,” a struggle taking place in many cultural and intellectual arenas, including the philosophy of natural science, philosophy proper, literary theory, and elsewhere. We note that hermeneutic philosophy represents a compelling attempt to chart such a path. We then outline the perspective of the British philosopher and theologian Colin Gunton who presents a powerful and unique analysis of modern dilemmas and longstanding difficulties in reconciling the “one” and the “many” in Western thought. Gunton’s ideas are highly congruent with hermeneutics and both reinforce and enrich its ontology of the human life-world and human agency. We suggest several specific ways in which Gunton’s view and hermeneutic thought cross-fertilize one another, extending their ability to speak to current cultural and spiritual dilemmas.