Gadamer, Hans-Georg

Hans-Georg Gadamer was a German philosopher best known for his work on hermeneutics, which is the study of understanding and interpretation. He believed that our understanding is always influenced by our background, experiences, and culture—what he called our "prejudices." Instead of viewing prejudices negatively, Gadamer saw them as starting points that help us engage with texts, art, and others more meaningfully. His ideas emphasize that interpretation is a dialogical process—meaningful understanding arises through an ongoing conversation between the interpreter and the subject, shaped by history and context.