Interpretation in the context of Dilthey's humanitarian project

The art of understanding or hermeneutics has a rich history. For Aristotle hermeneutics is mostly a means of decoding grammatical structures. In the Middle Ages there began a tendency to interpret not only the Bible but secular literature. Hermeneutics gradually acquires the character of universality. In the case of Dilthey it becomes the foundation of the human sciences. The emphasis on understanding in the humanities has its own history and its foundation. Initially, it gave priority to the psychological introspection. Whatever negative criticism it was exposed, it started the search for techniques that could provide the humanities with a firm foothold in the scientific world. The inability to identify the verification procedures of empathy and the inability of ultimate coincidence between the researcher who reads the text and the historical hero gave Dilthey the idea to rely on the interpretation but not on psychological introspection. The individuals in relation to each other have a certain indissoluble communicative link. It emerges despite national and linguistic differences. The fact that people belong to one type creates a thread of understanding between them. Understanding can be presented within the framework of the interpretation and its various methods. The article discusses the hermeneutic method as a basis for Dilthey's historical researches. It is the final point of his quest and has much in common with mentioned above communicative link, thanks to which it is possible to satisfy the interest of knowing human history.

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