As my field is literature, I'd like to point out that, in many, if not
most, approaches to literary criticism, there is no such thing as a
definitive interpretation of a literary masterpiece and therefore no
such thing as a hermeneutic circle to be "captured" in. The essence of a
masterpiece is the possibility of multitudinous approaches with many
interpretations possible. This is a result of the ambiguity, which is
the sine qua non of art, literary or otherwise. It is precisely the
complexity of the work which permits, even demands, constant increments
of understanding, interpretation, and analysis. I believe this is true
of Dante, the Gothic cathedral, and any other masterpiece in any other
medium.
However this is my approach and I daresay there will be many who
disagree.
Best,
Kathryn Wildgen
Jesper Hede wrote:
>
> Dear list members,
>
> in an article on Dante, written in Danish (1985), Brian P. McGuire
> characterizes the Divina Commedia as a "whole that is greater than the sum
> of its parts." As is well-known, the Commedia has been characterized in
> many ways throughout the history of Dante reading. One of the more
> persistent ones, which has a long tradition, is the comparison with a
> Gothic Cathedral. More recently Stephen Botteril, in his book on Dante and
> the mystical tradition (1994), has proposed the picture of the Commedia as
> "a Heraclitean river, into which no reader can ever step twice and find it
> unaltered."
>
> Now I assume that many Dante scholars would confirm to McGuire's
> characterization because of the complexity of the work, although it
> constitutes a huge obstacle in interpretive practice since the result is a
> capture in the hermeneutic circle.
>
> No doubt, the very notion of "the whole as being greater than the sum of
> its parts" is essentially a feature of medieval scholasticism, and I have
> been told by Brian P. McGuire that the very expression might even be found
> in St. Thomas' writings. Since I have not come across such a statement in
> St. Thomas, I wonder whether anyone among the participants in the mailbase
> discussion could provide me with reference to its occurence, whether it be
> in St. Thomas or somewhere else, if it is traceable in medieval writings.
> Any kind of answer will be of great interest.
>
> Jesper Hede
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