The Democratic Theory of Hans-Georg Gadamer

Beschreibung

This book examines the distinctive contribution that the writings of Hans-Georg Gadamer make to democratic theory. Walhof argues that Gadamer’s hermeneutical philosophy enlarges our perspective by shifting our view away from individual citizens to what exists between citizens, thereby allowing us to envision political realities that are otherwise hard to see. These realities include the disclosure of truth in democratic politics; achieving common ground in democratic dialogue, even amidst significant disagreement and diversity; the public and political nature of the religious traditions that make claims on and shape citizens; and the solidarities that connect us to each other and enable democratic action. The author argues that bringing these dimensions to awareness enriches our theories of democracy and is particularly crucial in an era of hyper-partisanship, accelerating inequality, and social conflicts involving racial, sexual, and religious identities.
This book examines the distinctive contribution that the writings of Hans-Georg Gadamer make to democratic theory. Walhof argues that Gadamer’s hermeneutical philosophy enlarges our perspective by shifting our view away from individual citizens to what exists between citizens, thereby allowing us to envision political realities that are otherwise hard to see. These realities include the disclosure of truth in democratic politics; achieving common ground in democratic dialogue, even amidst significant disagreement and diversity; the public and political nature of the religious traditions that make claims on and shape citizens; and the solidarities that connect us to each other and enable democratic action. The author argues that bringing these dimensions to awareness enriches our theories of democracy and is particularly crucial in an era of hyper-partisanship, accelerating inequality, and social conflicts involving racial, sexual, and religious identities.
Makes an original case for the hermeneutic philosophy of Hans-Georg Gadamer as an important contribution to political theory Appeals to those interested in questions of democracy, civil discourse, hermeneutics, religious pluralism, and civic solidarity Recovers the work of Gadamer from critiques by critical theorists and deconstructionists by showing the complexities of his view of tradition

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Darren Walhof

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Gadamer democracy hermeneutics religious pluralism solidarity phenomenology citizens subjectivity tradition

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“Darren Walhof’s book is a lucid and timely addition to the literature, and will be of great interest to scholars and students of Gadamer and democratic theory. … I can recommend this book to both scholars interested in Gadamerian hermeneutics and modern democratic theory. … Walholf’s book clears up common misapprehensions about Gadamer’s work while contributing significantly to the literature.” (Joshua Badge, Contemporary Political Theory, Vol. 17 (3), August, 2018)
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