Universidad del Claustro de Sor Juana

Sergio Ivn Vera Ortiz

Hermenutica y deconstruccin
Daniel Rodrigo Snchez Sumano
Citas
Chladenius was a prolific writer on a great many topics in theology, history, philosophy, and pedagogy.
Important

for

the

development

of

hermeneutics

were

his

Science

of

History

(Allgemeine

Geschichtswissenschaft of 1752 and his New Definitive Philosophy (Nova philosophia definitiva) of 1750 which
contains a chapter on hermeneutic definitions.
Among Chladenius's predecessors must be mentioned Konrad Dannhauer (Idea boni Interpretes The Idea of
the Good Interpreter, 1630), J. G. Meister (Dissertatio de interpretationDissertation on Interpretation, 1698)
and above all, Johann Heinrich Ernesti with his work on secular hermeneutics (De natura et constitutione
Hermeneuticae profanae On the Nature and Constitution of Secular Hermeneutics, 1699)
Even though Chladenius's work was well received and widely discussed among his contemporaries, it did not
bring about the establishment of general hermeneutics as an independent branch of philosophy as its author
had hoped. They deal with Chladenius's concept of interpretation and the interpretation of historical writings. It
is in the latter that Chladenius develops his famous notion of the point-of-view or perspective (Sehe-Punkt).
The remaining chapters of the book deal with topics like the classification of discourses and writings, the nature
of words and their meaning, the interpretation of discourses and the interpretation of writings, and with the
general characteristics of interpretations and the task of the interpreter.
Unless pretense is used, speeches and written works have one intention that the reader or listener
completely understand what is written or spoken. For this reason, it is important that we know what it means to
completely understand someone. Here it would be best if we agree only to review certain types of books and
speeches which we fully understand so that we may then be able to arrive at a general concept.
A history which is told or written to someone assumes that that person will use his knowledge of the prevailing
conditions in order to form a reasonable resolution. This aim can also be upheld by virtue of the nature of the
account and our own common sense. If, then, we can obtain an idea of the conditions from the account which
will allow us to make an appropriate decision.
One can acquire general concepts and moral lessons from histories and the author may, in fact, intend to teach
us these concepts and lessons. If we read a story written with such intentions and really learn the concepts
and lessons which can and should be extrapolated, then we have completely understood the history and the
book.

Stories are also told and written in order to amuse the reader and listener. Here there must be something in the
story which causes pleasure when we imagine it in our mind. If in reading and hearing a story of this kind I
focus my attention on just that which is able to bring about the pleasure and if I consequently experience the
pleasure which is intended, then I have understood the book completely. This category includes the many
collections of funny stories which one cannot fully understand if one does not sense the intended pleasure
himself.
The rest, which is not present in the words of the command, is not considered part of the command.
It is another thing to understand a proposition in itself and to understand it as being presented and asserted by
someone; the latter only concerns us in the interpretation.
A meaningful oration or written work is presented or written in order to cause a stirring in our souls. These
stirrings serve joy, laughter, seriousness, shame, sadness, and other emotions. An obstacle may be present
which does not allow these emotions to be awakened at certain times and in certain people.
One understands a speech or writing completely if one considers all of the thoughts that the words can awaken
in us according to the rules of heart and mind.
We always have two things to consider in speeches and in written works: a comprehension of the author's
meaning and the speech or writing itself.
But if one cannot understand everything which the author intended from his words, or if one is caused with
reason to consider more than the author wanted to say, then the writing is not understandable.
For full understanding takes place only when one imagines all things which can be thought of with each word
according to psychological rules (155). So the complete understanding of a speech or writing must encompass
a number of concepts. If we are still lacking some of these concepts which are necessary for this full
understanding, then we still have not understood the passage completely.
In everyday life one does not analyze things and certainly not in the manner that is necessary for
interpretation.
The passages of a speech or written work are often less productive than their creator imagines, because he
often puts more into words than he can reasonably expect his reader to perceive (156). And, on the other
hand, some passages are often more productive than the author thinks because they inspire many more
thoughts than he intended, some of which he would rather have left unthought.
Time has no influence on this process but on the things themselves which change in time. Therefore, because
we learn to understand a book with time (160), it does not mean that the cause must lie in time, but that it was
the thoughts which arose and were changed in our mind. If one wants to learn to understand a book a little at a
lime, then one must acquire the concepts which are necessary for a complete understanding of the book.
An interpretation is, then, nothing other than teaching someone the concepts which are necessary to learn to
understand or to fully understand a speech or a written work.

If we should ask for an interpreter, then we should acknowledge that we have not completely understood the
book. The next simple question one might ask is how we know that we still do not completely understand the
meaning of a book.
The complete understanding of such a text demands that we be moved by it, or, at least, that we recognize
how the text could move certain readers or listeners (154). It follows that if we do not sense any of these
things, then we have not completely understood it.
The interpretation may express itself in an infinite number of ways, but, just as all repeated human actions
proceed according to certain laws, an interpretation is also bound by certain principles which may be observed
in particular cases. It has also been agreed that a discipline is formed if one explains, proves, and correlates
many principles belonging to a type of action. There can be no doubt, then, that a discipline is created when
we interpret according to certain rules. For this we have the Greek name "hermeneutic" and in our language
we properly call it the art of interpretation.
Hermeneutics is a discipline in itself, not in part, and can be assigned its place in accordance with the
teachings of psychology.
Therefore, the interpreter must understand the work himself. But according to the general concept, one should
interpret a work before one knows the meaning, which is impossible.

Comentario
Escribir un comentario sobre lo que leo en un libro en ingles, que habla de la
interpretacin, es una tarea extraa. No puedo comprender ms que por un traductor que
me gua. Cmo s que el traductor no me miente? Desde el principio parece fcil lo que
describen como interpretacin, pero continuando con el texto se va volviendo algo difcil
de definir. Al llegar a una parte en la que el arte es la interpretacin, es difcil lidiar con los
obstculos que representa el que sea un arte; Cmo reglamentar la interpretacin? Aun
como ciencia es difcil. La imposibilidad de dar una interpretacin por la limitacin del
discurso hablado o escrito; con respecto a lo que limpiamente queremos dar a entender;
el dilema que representa el dar a entender algo a otra mente, que interpreta de manera
distinta o a otro nivel. Es un poco rara esta ciencia y ms cuando tienes que interpretar
desde otro idioma, o desde otra ciencia. Cmo podra ser una especializacin? La
interpretacin parece muy diversa y basada en los conocimientos que no tienes del tema
del texto o discurso, o lo que sea que intenten comunicarte. Parece que cada
interpretacin es especial. Malicia bajo control? Interpretaciones que se vuelven
ciencias, teoras? Especializacin en la hermenutica?