Hermeneutics, the theory of interpretation, is a crucial branch of epistemology that has gained significant attention in recent years, with a substantial body of literature emerging from the European phenomenological tradition. This work aims to provide philosophically sophisticated readers, who may not yet be familiar with hermeneutics, a comprehensive overview of the discipline's history and key concerns. By focusing on the structure of the hermeneutic circle, the book makes the complex primary literature more accessible, illustrating how this concept serves as a unifying thread throughout the history of hermeneutics and connects various issues. It highlights the evolution of hermeneutics over the past two centuries and the growing recognition of the nuances within the hermeneutic circle. Additionally, the text explores how the hermeneutic circle operates within the natural sciences, bridging the gap between human studies and scientific methodologies. Illustrated with forty diagrams that depict the variations of the hermeneutic circle, this work enhances clarity and serves as a core text for graduate or senior courses on hermeneutics or literary theory, as well as a supplementary resource for courses in the philosophy of science, historiography, and aesthetics.
