FULL NAMES:
STUDENT NUMBER:
MODULE CODE: PDU3701
MODULE NAME: PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION
ASSIGNMENT: 03
YEAR MODULE 2026
1
, Question 1
1.1
(a) Hermeneutics and truth
Hermeneutics offers a particular way of understanding truth that differs from scientific or
absolute notions of certainty. From a hermeneutic perspective, truth is not seen as
something fixed that exists independently of human interpretation, but rather as
something that unfolds through dialogue, context and historical situatedness. Truth is
understood as meaningful understanding that emerges when individuals engage with
texts, experiences or situations from within their own lived realities. According to Higgs
and Letseka, hermeneutics emphasises that all understanding is shaped by prior
assumptions, cultural backgrounds and personal histories, which means that truth is
always partial and open to reinterpretation rather than final or complete (Higgs &
Letseka 2022, p. 68). This view challenges traditional ideas that truth can be transmitted
unchanged from one person to another, instead highlighting the interpretive nature of
human understanding.
An important aspect of hermeneutic truth is the idea that understanding takes place
through what is often referred to as a dialogical process. This means that truth is not
discovered in isolation but emerges through interaction between the interpreter and
what is being interpreted. Whether one is engaging with a written text, a historical event
or a human experience, meaning arises through a back-and-forth movement between
one’s own perspective and the perspective offered by the text or situation. Higgs and
Letseka explain that hermeneutics does not aim to eliminate bias, but rather
acknowledges that pre-understanding is a necessary condition for interpretation (Higgs
& Letseka 2022, p. 70). In this sense, truth is not neutral or detached, but deeply
connected to human experience and understanding.
Hermeneutics also highlights the role of context in shaping truth. What may be
considered true or meaningful in one historical or cultural setting may be understood
differently in another. This does not mean that truth is meaningless or arbitrary, but that
2
STUDENT NUMBER:
MODULE CODE: PDU3701
MODULE NAME: PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION
ASSIGNMENT: 03
YEAR MODULE 2026
1
, Question 1
1.1
(a) Hermeneutics and truth
Hermeneutics offers a particular way of understanding truth that differs from scientific or
absolute notions of certainty. From a hermeneutic perspective, truth is not seen as
something fixed that exists independently of human interpretation, but rather as
something that unfolds through dialogue, context and historical situatedness. Truth is
understood as meaningful understanding that emerges when individuals engage with
texts, experiences or situations from within their own lived realities. According to Higgs
and Letseka, hermeneutics emphasises that all understanding is shaped by prior
assumptions, cultural backgrounds and personal histories, which means that truth is
always partial and open to reinterpretation rather than final or complete (Higgs &
Letseka 2022, p. 68). This view challenges traditional ideas that truth can be transmitted
unchanged from one person to another, instead highlighting the interpretive nature of
human understanding.
An important aspect of hermeneutic truth is the idea that understanding takes place
through what is often referred to as a dialogical process. This means that truth is not
discovered in isolation but emerges through interaction between the interpreter and
what is being interpreted. Whether one is engaging with a written text, a historical event
or a human experience, meaning arises through a back-and-forth movement between
one’s own perspective and the perspective offered by the text or situation. Higgs and
Letseka explain that hermeneutics does not aim to eliminate bias, but rather
acknowledges that pre-understanding is a necessary condition for interpretation (Higgs
& Letseka 2022, p. 70). In this sense, truth is not neutral or detached, but deeply
connected to human experience and understanding.
Hermeneutics also highlights the role of context in shaping truth. What may be
considered true or meaningful in one historical or cultural setting may be understood
differently in another. This does not mean that truth is meaningless or arbitrary, but that
2
