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Hermeneutics and theory of mind

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Abstract

In contemporary philosophy and psychology there is an ongoing debate around the concept of theory of mind. Theory of mind concerns our ability to understand another person. The two approaches that dominate the debate are “Theory Theory” (TT) and “Simulation Theory” (ST). This paper explores the connection between theory of mind and hermeneutics. Although both speak of the nature of understanding, and the way we gain and organize our knowledge of others, certain aspects of Schleiermacher’s hermeneutics reflect a theory approach, long before TT itself was developed. In contrast, Dilthey’s hermeneutics reflects a simulation approach. In contrast to both of these approaches, I propose a contextual theory, as a parallel to Gadamer’s work in hermeneutics, and as a view that offers the basis for an important critique of both TT and ST.

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Notes

  1. Gallagher’s use of the concept of secondary intersubjectivity is equally informed by phenomenological insights found in Heidegger and Gurwitsch. As Gurwitsch (1978, p. 35) puts it, ‘Prior to all specific cognition, and independent of it, we are concerned with other people in our “natural living” of daily life’” (see Gallagher 2005b). Gurwitsch’s emphasis on contexts and shared interactions correlates well with secondary intersubjectivity.

  2. I note, however, that Gallagher (2006; also see Gallagher and Hutto 2008) has recently turning to the concept of narrative to address this concern. I indicate below that this is a step in the right direction, but that it does not capture the larger contextualized practices described by Gadamer.

  3. The word Einfuhlüng (literally translated “feeling into” but commonly translated into English as ‘empathy’) originated with Theodore Lipps in the 1880s, and so post-dates the work of Ast and Schleiermacher. The closest that Schleiermacher comes to this idea is with his concept of divinatory method (see Schleiermacher 1988, pp. 84, 96).

  4. Edward Reed (1994): “When one empathizes, one perceives a situation from another's point of view without losing track of one's own point of view” (p. 288).

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  1. 606, Khoramrudi Blv, Shahrake Jandarmeri, Tehran, 1463713781, Iran

    Mahin Chenari

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Correspondence to Mahin Chenari.

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The author would like to thank Shaun Gallagher for commenting on earlier versions of this paper, and especially Mary Tripp for her role as English language coach. This paper was written during a stay as Visiting Scholar at the University of Central Florida.

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Chenari, M. Hermeneutics and theory of mind. Phenom Cogn Sci 8, 17–31 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11097-008-9107-1

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