The Case Of Schleiermacher In The Context Of Hermeneutic Method In Education

Abstract

Very wide range of methods has been used throughout the history of education. Some of these methods have been long-running and employed for centuries; some of them occupied a significant place in the history of education only for a certain period of time and some of them have been frequently in and out of sight in the historical scene. Hermeneutic method, which is also known as a form of interpretivist method, whilst having experienced very functional periods throughout the history of science, also have seen certain periods in which it was not much mentioned and even fall into oblivion. Having taken its name from Hermes who was believed to be a messenger between the gods of the ancient Greek Mythology and the human beings, Hermeneutics experienced a very functional period in the ancient Greek philosophy and literature and played a very active role in interpreting the religious and profane texts. Not much mentioned along the medieval ages encompassing practically a period of a thousand years, in the New Age, especially after Renaissance and Reform, hermeneutic method played a key role in the reinterpretation of the Sacred Texts. In the eighteenth century, the natural sciences virtually monopolized the science by using the explanation method and the social sciences retreated to the background. As a consequence, hermeneutics was left aside and not mentioned at all till the end of the nineteenth century. It was not until Wilhelm Dilthey, the most significant theoretician of the discipline called Geisteswissenschaftlicen Hermeneutik, came up with the understanding method as opposed to explanation method, and hence hermeneutics reappeared in the historical scene. This paper will deal with Schleiermacher as an educator and discuss his teaching method in the context of the application of the hermeneutical method to education. (C) 2012 Published by Elsevier Ltd. Selection and/or peer-review under responsibility of The Association of Science, Education and Technology