University of Iowa Professor John Durham Peters, in the bible of communications theory that is Speaking Into The Air, writes that Hermeneutics is the reading of texts that have drifted out of their original historical setting. Essentially, it is the interpretation of stray texts. Historically, it has referred to the practice of looking at religious documents, but as a philosophical consideration the notion has come to encompass the whole realm of communication. Philosophers such as Hegel, Marx, and Kierkegaard even see face to face communication as a form of Hermeneutics, for it involves a great deal of interpretation; the spoken word is a poor representative of inner life. Considering the study in the context of Blogs, we might refer to hermeneutics simply as eavesdropping - the study of a text that was not intended for you.
Wow, that’s a lot of information. We’ve got some dead philosophers, a leading communications theorist, and a broad contemporary philosophical notion. I should probably do a better job of citing all that knowledge that I once learned from other sources. What if the plagiarism police come and take me? I picture old lady librarians breaking in through my door and locking me in the back of the bookmobile. It’s a scary thought. But I’m brave (or stupid, or perhaps lazy,) and have decided not to cite in depth. Why? Because this is my blog, it is my personal journal. Oh, wait. You’re reading it. It’s not personal anymore. Then again, it might not be intended for you, you’re essentially eavesdropping on my thoughts. I’m very confused. I bet you are too.
So here’s the dilly, yo: This is my blog. It’s supposed to be my personal thoughts, yet at the same time it’s open to the public. I view this as my tool to practice both my thinking and my writing. (That’s why I get to write words like dilly and talk about mind-boggling things like hermeneutics.) Yet, those who read it might see it as something different. Those who know me best might see it as a great personal toy, knowing very well how I like to play with the ideas I come across in the world of knowledge. Yet, those who don’t know me very well might see it as a stringent statement of my personal beliefs and the way I understand the world. Professors might read it and hang their head in shame at my writing style or my unprecedented ability to butcher ideas. My words will undoubtedly be misunderstood, misinterpreted, and as soon as I comment on anything anywhere near controversial, they will probably piss someone off. The amazing part is that I won’t intend to do any of these things, to produce any of those thoughts – but there is no way to avoid them.
Given more consideration, I assume that there will be two types of readers. There those who will read my words from Michigan; they are not necessarily engaging in hermeneutics for the words are semi-intended for them, and they have a chance to ask questions and I will get a chance to respond. However, the communication is still flawed and heavy on interpretation, for I know there are many who will read this and never comment or never ask for clarification, they will simply eavesdrop, or perhaps stalk. (Haha, caught you.) However, there will also be those who read this who are not in the class, who have no real connection to me at all, and are simply reading and trying to comprehend a text that is removed from them in both space and time. This is where problems may lie: whether my readers be those I know who just don’t ask for clarification or those far removed with no ability to move into a more reliable correspondence, there is always great room for miscommunication.
To refer again to Dr. Peters wonderful prose, we see that “communication is a risky adventure without guarantees.” New communications technology, while perhaps serving to expand the practices of communication, dramatically complicates it. Never has the room for misunderstanding, for finding fine lines between communication and eavesdropping, been so great and so challenging. Never has the possibility of coming across stray texts been greater. Never has the study of hermeneutics been so critical to a society as it is now becoming.
4 comments:
i've been writing blogs for almost 10 years. i have ones that are more personal (i.e. not trafficked), ones that are more widely read, some with a specific intended audience, some that started off as "poetry only" or "political only", but the reality of each of these is that once i press "publish", i don't retain control of these factors anymore. i don't know who is reading, what they thought and because i have had a lot of blogs over time, i don't have a consistent readership that comments frequently... in this way, i am frustrated with the medium b/c i believe in its innate ability to be interactive, but often it is just musings that go unaddressed, when i'm always searching for dialogue.
it is something that i struggle with on the love/hate angle. i have never believed that there's anything "safe" about the online space... anything can be accessed by anyone. now, that there will be droves of librarians at my door for no citations is pretty unlikely b/c it's one of millions out there... while i believe big brother is watching, not that close, ha.
i really enjoyed this post, and i too see the danger of hermeneutics. the writer's intent only goes so far... it's also about the reader's perception and the reason why i study language and communication (through English) is because i'm fascinated by the fact that every word we speak/write has the weight of our experiences in it. when i say "love", i bring to the word every time i've ever known or felt love... and to think that anyone else would understand the nuances of that is crazy. but the challenge, for me, is in trying to make those connections, and context is crucial.
xo
lauren
So many words...so many words... I'm a scientist not a linguist... my brain hurts... I'm glad you make it concise in class:) Glad to read your comments about the classroom dynamics of us MACers, and will (try to) keep an eye on your musings as we go forward. PS--What's "hermeneutics", and who's this Plato guy, anyway?
wow, what a thoughtfully long post. because it's so early in the morning and my attention span is quite short, i began to lose what you had said at the beginning when i reached the end. i look forward to reading more detailed and insightful things from you in the future though.
Jon, I wonder if this form of communication just puts a twist on how it would be if you published a poem, never knowing who might see your work and having no real way to be in contact? The beauty and the risk of putting one's work (or ideas) "out there" is that you lose control over them, and the act of interpretation is subject to all of the subjectivity and idiosyncrasy that each member of your audience brings (no matter how clear you try to be).
I was just talking with one of the people who is doing a virtual conference this Friday, and she was talking about the vital importance for her of the interconnectedness with other people (teachers and otherwise) as she works through pedagogical ideas. For her, blogs are a useful tool for making/building upon such connections. Outside of Ed 504, though, I've not made lots of comments on people's blogs, even though I read a lot of them. I suppose that a kind of irony for the writer is that she often has no knowledge of the impact of her ideas on her audience. I read your post last week, and though I didn't respond your thoughts engendered lots of thinking about the relationship between a writer and his audience. I'm interested in trying to nurture a sense of historical empathy in our students, and in playing with historical juxtapositions, and your post led to a lot of thinking on my part about these issues, too. If I hadn't wandered back this way you wouldn't have known that, but the impact of your words would still be there. Hmmm...there's an element of something akin to faith here, isn't there?
Thanks for the great food for thought, Jon.
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