Notes on critical hermeneutics and knowledge systems

Introduction: Overview of Critical Hermeneutics

Basic Characteristics

1. Development Background:
   • Developed by École de Lille
   • New method from third historical phase of hermeneutics (late 20th century to present)
2. Research Features:
   • Research Object: Problematic meanings (obscurity in broad sense)
   • Essential Shift: From studying "being with understanding" to "being with non-understanding"
3. Contemporary Mission:
   • Interpreting the obscurity (obscurité) of our era
   • Mysticism can be viewed as an attempt to interpret contemporary obscurity

1. Accumulative View of History

• Historical Context:
  • Galileo's trial
  • Descartes' suspension of "The World"
• Key Thinkers:
  1. Descartes' Perspective:
     • Emphasizes knowledge accumulation
     • Advocates public sharing of knowledge
     • Believes collective wisdom surpasses individual limitations
  2. Pascal's Perspective:
     • Introduces concept of "humanity" as a whole
     • Emphasizes continuous progress of humankind
     • Questions blind reverence for ancient wisdom

2. Whig Historiography

• Three Main Characteristics:
  1. Linearity: History develops in a single line
  2. Progressiveness: Continuous improvement
  3. Purposefulness: Specific developmental direction
• Critical Features:
  • Tendency toward moral judgment
  • Teleological bias
  • Presentism issues

1. Conceptual Origin

• Derived from Euclidean geometry
• Revived by Einstein in 20th century
• Used to describe fundamental differences between knowledge systems

2. Understanding Perspectives

1. Metaphorical Understanding:
   • Knowledge building isn't simple addition
   • Requires partial demolition and reconstruction
   • New knowledge systems represent qualitative change
2. Key Features:
   • Different default situations
   • Different acceptable hypothesis ranges
   • Changes in term meanings

3. Three Major Implications

1. Truth/Falsity Not External Standards
   • Truth exists within systems
   • Different systems have different "truths"
2. No Objective Measurement Standards
   • Cannot compare truth levels across systems
3. Nature of Scientific Development
   • Not pursuing singular truth
   • Rather avoiding anomalies

1. Paradigm

• Definition: Shared examples determining solvable problems and acceptable answers
• Level: Discourse level
• Feature: From unique to non-unique
• Classic Example: Physics paradigm in early psychology
  • Wundt's thought meter
  • Galton's dynamometer
  • Spearman's neural energy

2. Thought Style

• Three Judgment Mechanisms:
  1. Figure-ground judgment
  2. Key-noise judgment
  3. Particular-universal judgment
• Level: Psychological level
• Feature: Non-unique and plural
• Key Point: Collective nature of thinking
• Classic Examples:
  • Fleck's rib case
  • Neutrino flow interpretation changes

3. Episteme

• Basic Definition: The "table" where knowledge exists
• Level: Discourse generation level
• Classic Example: Evolution of price determination theory

Conclusion: Incommensurability's Negation of Whig Historiography

1. Negates Linearity: Due to incommensurability implying discontinuity
2. Negates Progressiveness: Cannot prove closer proximity to truth
3. Negates Purposefulness: Scientific development mainly avoids anomalies

Key Implications

1. Recognition of knowledge system constraints on thinking
2. Understanding discontinuities between different knowledge systems
3. Reflection on current knowledge system limitations