PDU3701 ASSIGNMENT 3 MEMO 2026
DUE 17 JULY 2026
Question 1.1
a) Write a brief reaction (your thoughts, interpretation and understanding) on the
following:
a) Hermeneutics and truth
b) Hermeneutics and education
Hermeneutics approaches truth not as an objective, fixed entity that exists
independently of human beings, but as something that emerges through understanding
and interpretation. From a hermeneutic perspective, truth is always mediated by
language, symbols, history and culture. This means that human beings do not simply
“discover” truth in the way scientific rationalism suggests; instead, they interpret reality
within the context of their lived experience and community traditions (Higgs & Letseka,
2024).
Gadamer’s contribution is particularly important in this regard. In Truth and Method, he
argues that truth can be revealed through art, dialogue and tradition just as much as
through scientific inquiry. This challenges the dominance of scientific rationalism, which
often assumes that truth must be measurable, testable and objective. Hermeneutics,
by contrast, values meaning over measurement and acknowledges that different
interpretations can coexist without one necessarily being false (Gadamer, 1960).
, I find this view of truth both compelling and challenging. It is compelling because it
recognises the human dimension of knowing our emotions, histories, beliefs and cultural
backgrounds shape how we understand the world. For example, religious, artistic and
moral truths often cannot be reduced to empirical facts, yet they remain deeply
meaningful. However, hermeneutics can also be problematic because it risks relativism,
where all interpretations are seen as equally valid, even those that support oppression.
The apartheid example in South Africa illustrates how an entire community found
meaning in an unjust system through a shared but distorted hermeneutic framework
(Higgs & Letseka, 2024).
Hermeneutics broadens our understanding of truth by reminding us that truth is not only
about factual correctness but also about human meaning, dialogue and shared
understanding within communities.
b) Hermeneutics and Education
Hermeneutics has profound implications for education because it shifts the focus from
the transmission of objective knowledge to the interpretation of meaning. From a
hermeneutic perspective, education is not about filling learners with facts, but about
helping them make sense of their world through dialogue, reflection and engagement
with tradition (Higgs & Letseka, 2024).
In hermeneutic education, learners are not passive recipients of knowledge. Instead,
they are active interpreters who bring their own cultural backgrounds, experiences and
pre-understandings into the learning process. Teaching, therefore, becomes a dialogical
activity where meaning is co-created between teacher and learner. This aligns strongly
with the work of Gadamer, who emphasised conversation and openness as central to
understanding.
DUE 17 JULY 2026
Question 1.1
a) Write a brief reaction (your thoughts, interpretation and understanding) on the
following:
a) Hermeneutics and truth
b) Hermeneutics and education
Hermeneutics approaches truth not as an objective, fixed entity that exists
independently of human beings, but as something that emerges through understanding
and interpretation. From a hermeneutic perspective, truth is always mediated by
language, symbols, history and culture. This means that human beings do not simply
“discover” truth in the way scientific rationalism suggests; instead, they interpret reality
within the context of their lived experience and community traditions (Higgs & Letseka,
2024).
Gadamer’s contribution is particularly important in this regard. In Truth and Method, he
argues that truth can be revealed through art, dialogue and tradition just as much as
through scientific inquiry. This challenges the dominance of scientific rationalism, which
often assumes that truth must be measurable, testable and objective. Hermeneutics,
by contrast, values meaning over measurement and acknowledges that different
interpretations can coexist without one necessarily being false (Gadamer, 1960).
, I find this view of truth both compelling and challenging. It is compelling because it
recognises the human dimension of knowing our emotions, histories, beliefs and cultural
backgrounds shape how we understand the world. For example, religious, artistic and
moral truths often cannot be reduced to empirical facts, yet they remain deeply
meaningful. However, hermeneutics can also be problematic because it risks relativism,
where all interpretations are seen as equally valid, even those that support oppression.
The apartheid example in South Africa illustrates how an entire community found
meaning in an unjust system through a shared but distorted hermeneutic framework
(Higgs & Letseka, 2024).
Hermeneutics broadens our understanding of truth by reminding us that truth is not only
about factual correctness but also about human meaning, dialogue and shared
understanding within communities.
b) Hermeneutics and Education
Hermeneutics has profound implications for education because it shifts the focus from
the transmission of objective knowledge to the interpretation of meaning. From a
hermeneutic perspective, education is not about filling learners with facts, but about
helping them make sense of their world through dialogue, reflection and engagement
with tradition (Higgs & Letseka, 2024).
In hermeneutic education, learners are not passive recipients of knowledge. Instead,
they are active interpreters who bring their own cultural backgrounds, experiences and
pre-understandings into the learning process. Teaching, therefore, becomes a dialogical
activity where meaning is co-created between teacher and learner. This aligns strongly
with the work of Gadamer, who emphasised conversation and openness as central to
understanding.
