Original scientific paper

Master and Slave : hermeneutics and poststructuralism

Vladimir Biti ; Department of Croatian language and literature, Faculty of humanities and social sciences, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia

Abstract

In the paper the origin of hermeneutics is derived from a romanticist relativization of a sharp distinction between the present and the past during the Enlightenment. A century and a half later poststructuralists are in the same way relativizing a structuralist binary opposition, which shows that, despite of violent polemics between them, there still exists an important point of contact between hermeneutics and poststructuralism. By way of similarity, through the distribution of power within the opposition, the diversity between them is also being renewed. While hermeneutics is persistently trying to take the position of power in relation to its opponent, poststructuralism is equally persistently trying to get rid of the same power to the opponent’s advantage. To the extent in which they so consistently embody the Hegelian roles of a Master and a Slave, instead of problematizing them, both aspirations turn out to be equally reductive.

Keywords

hermeneutics; poststructuralism; master; slave

Hrčak ID:

174683

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/174683

Publication date:

17.4.2007.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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