Ecological Hermeneutics Essay -- Science Technology Ecology Papers

To what extent does Hans-Georg Gadamers theory of cognizance provide a basis for the maneuvericulation of an ecological hermeneutics? As hermeneutics is the art of interpretation and understanding, ecological hermeneutics is understood as the fiddle of interpreting the impact of technology within the lifeworld. I consider the potential for ecological hermeneutics based upon Gadamers theory of science. First, I outline his theory of science. Second, I delineate ecological hermeneutics as an application of this theory. Third, I discuss what can be expected from the act of ecological hermeneutics. Finally, I make some general comments about the affinity between ecological hermeneutics and brute common-sense. Our question is to what extent does Hans-Georg Gadamers theory of science provide a basis for an articulation of an ecological hermeneutics? As hermeneutics is the art or activeness of interpretation and understanding, ecological hermeneutics is to be understood as the activity of interpreting the impact of uses of technology within the context of the lifeworld. (1) Our considerations of the uses of technology (2) include the spheres of scientific research on one hand and industrial production processes on the other, specifically capitalism. The similarity which makes these two spheres felicitous to ecological hermeneutics is their respective detachment from the lifeworld, a detachment which characterizes each of their decision procedures.Gadamers hermeneutic opening is simulate on a retrieval of the Aristotelian model of science which calls into question the modern notion of ratiocination detached a priori from experience, from the lifeworld. Through this hermeneutic enterprise Gadamer develops a theory of science whic... ...g strategy designed to stimulate sales?(15) Op. cit., trans. David Ross (Oxford Oxford University Press, 1984), p. 3.(16) Reason in the Age of Science, p. 8(17) Ibid., p. 105. Italics mine.(18) In passing it is interesting to crea se that from the perspective of ecological hermeneutics, such attempts such as Julian Simons to discount any aspect of human life which cannot be quantitatively metric are exceedingly tenuous. As he sees it, the simplest and most accurate measure of health is length of life, summed up as the average life expectancy. But in an effort to remain objective, Simon blatantly overlooks the possibility that life expectancy might have nothing to do with quality of life, as in the cases of terminally mishap patients kept alive on respirators. See The Ultimate Resource (Princeton, New Jersey Princeton University Press, 1981), p. 130.