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Context is always an essential hermeneutic tool. Historic context in particular is nigh invaluable for many works. (This would seem obvious, but one of the cons
by Fellshard 6y ago
Context is always an essential hermeneutic tool. Historic context in particular is nigh invaluable for many works. (This would seem obvious, but one of the consequences of 'death of the author' lines of thought is that a work becomes entirely stripped from all context, and much damage is thereby done to reason.)
- cafard 6y agoPhilosophers and theologians tend to be questioning answers that their predecessors or contemporaries have raised. This goes way back: Plato's dialogues have a lot of references to Heraclitus, Parmenides--well, the pre-Socratics--and Aristotle argues with Plato. To read the the successor without knowing at least something of the predecessor is like listening to somebody on the phone: you might be able to follow the conversation from just the one side, or you might not.