
Metaphysical Hermeneutics
Jean Grondin(Author)
Bloomsbury Academic (Publisher)
Published on 19. March 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
192 pages
978-1-350-43780-7 (ISBN)
Description
If in its simplest form, hermeneutics is a quest for understanding, then part of that quest will always include striving to understand being and the meaning of being. This open access book takes that ambition seriously, arguing that hermeneutics and metaphysics, so central to philosophical thought but so rarely put in tandem, are two complementary fundamentals of human existence.
Metaphysical Hermeneutics puts forward the argument for a hermeneutical metaphysics in service of philosophy's basic aim: to make sense of our experience. Jean Grondin builds his argument for this combined discipline around the idea of 'sense' - a theme that is both hermeneutical and metaphysical. What we seek to glimpse is not just a figment of the mind but always the meaning of something. Grondin calls on one of the founding figures of contemporary hermeneutics Hans-Georg Gadamer to test his theories, singling out the metaphysical dimension of Gadamer's ideas and questioning his seeming embrace and rejection of that dimension. Rooting these questions in the human search for meaning is a major contribution to the scope and resources of hermeneutic philosophy.
The ebook editions of this book are available open access under a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 licence on bloomsburycollections.com. Open access was funded by the Department of Philosophy at the University of Montreal.
Metaphysical Hermeneutics puts forward the argument for a hermeneutical metaphysics in service of philosophy's basic aim: to make sense of our experience. Jean Grondin builds his argument for this combined discipline around the idea of 'sense' - a theme that is both hermeneutical and metaphysical. What we seek to glimpse is not just a figment of the mind but always the meaning of something. Grondin calls on one of the founding figures of contemporary hermeneutics Hans-Georg Gadamer to test his theories, singling out the metaphysical dimension of Gadamer's ideas and questioning his seeming embrace and rejection of that dimension. Rooting these questions in the human search for meaning is a major contribution to the scope and resources of hermeneutic philosophy.
The ebook editions of this book are available open access under a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 licence on bloomsburycollections.com. Open access was funded by the Department of Philosophy at the University of Montreal.
Reviews / Votes
Grondin's project of metaphysical hermeneutics is a bold attempt to bring the modern question of understanding into dialogue with the classic question of being. It is a timely interrogation of the meaning of life - by showing how we make sense of sense. How we interpret our sensing of the things themselves. A vital and compelling argument. -- Richard Kearney, Boston College, USA Metaphysical Hermeneutics is one of the most noteworthy books on philosophical hermeneutics to appear in recent years. Professor Grondin expertly navigates through the history of both hermeneutics and metaphysics, while his analysis of "sense" is especially original and important. -- Paul Fairfield, Queen's University, CanadaMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Target group
College/higher education
Illustrations
2 bw illus
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 156 mm
Thickness: 11 mm
Weight
301 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-350-43780-7 (9781350437807)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Jean Grondin is a Professor of Philosophy at the University of Montreal, Canada.
Content
Introduction
1. Sensus hermeneuticus
2. What is metaphysics?
3. What can a metaphysical hermeneutics have to say about the sense of life?
4. The metaphysical dimension of Gadamer's hermeneutics
5. The Metaphysics Behind the Universality of Hermeneutic Understanding
1. Sensus hermeneuticus
2. What is metaphysics?
3. What can a metaphysical hermeneutics have to say about the sense of life?
4. The metaphysical dimension of Gadamer's hermeneutics
5. The Metaphysics Behind the Universality of Hermeneutic Understanding