The range of interpretation /
There is a tacit assumption that interpretation comes naturally, that human beings live by constantly interpreting. In this sense, we might even rephrase Descartes by saying: We interpret, therefore we are. While such a basic human disposition makes interpretation appear to come naturally, the forms...
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| Format: | Book |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
New York :
Columbia University Press,
2000
New York : [2000], ©2000 New York : c2000 New York : ©2000 New York : [2000] |
| Series: | The Wellek Library lecture series at the University of California, Irvine
Wellek Library lecture series at the University of California, Irvine Wellek Library lectures at the University of California, Irvine |
| Subjects: |
| Summary: | There is a tacit assumption that interpretation comes naturally, that human beings live by constantly interpreting. In this sense, we might even rephrase Descartes by saying: We interpret, therefore we are. While such a basic human disposition makes interpretation appear to come naturally, the forms it takes, however, do not. In this work, Iser offers a fresh approach by formulating an "anatomy of interpretation" through which we can understand the act of interpretation in its many different manifestations "There is a Tacit Assumption that human beings live by constantly interpreting the world. As Descartes might say: We interpret, therefore we are. While such a basic human disposition makes interpretation seem natural, the possible forms it may take, however, do not. Iser offers a fresh approach to traditional hermeneutics by formulating an "anatomy of interpretation" through which we can understand the act of interpretation in its various manifestations." "For Iser, there are several different genres of interpretation, all of which are essentially acts of translation meant to transpose something into something else. Perhaps the most obvious example involves canonical texts, such as the Rabbinical exegesis of the Torah or Samuel Johnson's reading of Shakespeare. But what if the object of interpretation consists not of text but of independent fragments, as in the study of history or the practice of psychoanalysis? Iser details how, in each of these cases, the space opened up by interpretation is negotiated in a different way, thus concluding that the nature of interpretation always depends on what it seeks to translate." "For students of philosophy, literary and critical theory, anthropology, and cultural history, Iser's elucidation of the mechanics by which we translate and understand, as well as his assessment of the anthropological roots of our drive to produce meaning, will undoubtedly serve as a revelation. Book jacket."--Jacket "There is a tacit assumption that interpretation comes naturally, that human beings live by constantly interpreting. While such a basic human disposition makes interpretation appear to come naturally, the forms it takes, however, do not. In this work, Iser offers a fresh approach by formulating an "anatomy of interpretation" through which we can understand the act of interpretation in its many different manifestations." "For students of philosophy, literacy and critical theory, anthropology, and cultural history, Iser's elucidation of the mechanics by which we translate and understand, as well as his assessment of the anthropological roots of our drive to make meaning, will undoubtedly serve as a revelation."--BOOK JACKET |
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| Item Description: | A revision and expansion of the Wellek Library lectures given by the author in the spring of 1994 This WorldCat-derived record is shareable under Open Data Commons ODC-BY, with attribution to OCLC |
| Physical Description: | xv, 206 p. ; 24 cm xv, 206 pages ; 24 cm |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references and index |
| ISBN: | 023111902X (cloth : alk. paper) 023111902X 0231119038 9780231119023 (cloth : alk. paper) 9780231119023 9780231119030 |