The hermeneutics of suspicion is a style of literary interpretation in which texts are read with

skepticism Skepticism, also spelled scepticism, is a questioning attitude or doubt toward knowledge claims that are seen as mere belief or dogma. For example, if a person is skeptical about claims made by their government about an ongoing war then the pe ...

in order to expose their purported repressed or hidden meanings. This mode of interpretation was conceptualized by

Paul Ricœur Jean Paul Gustave Ricœur (; ; 27 February 1913 – 20 May 2005) was a French philosopher best known for combining phenomenological description with hermeneutics. As such, his thought is within the same tradition as other major hermeneutic ...

, inspired by the works of what he called the three "masters of suspicion" (french: maîtres du soupçon):Quote1st ed: 1969

Karl Marx Karl Heinrich Marx (; 5 May 1818 – 14 March 1883) was a German philosopher, economist, historian, sociologist, political theorist, journalist, critic of political economy, and socialist revolutionary. His best-known titles are the 1848 ...

Sigmund Freud Sigmund Freud ( , ; born Sigismund Schlomo Freud; 6 May 1856 – 23 September 1939) was an Austrian neurologist and the founder of psychoanalysis, a clinical method for evaluating and treating psychopathology, pathologies explained as originatin ...

, and

Friedrich Nietzsche Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (; or ; 15 October 1844 – 25 August 1900) was a German philosopher, prose poet, cultural critic, philologist, and composer whose work has exerted a profound influence on contemporary philosophy. He began his ...

,1st ed: 1970
whom he believed shared a similar view of consciousness as false. Ricœur's term "school of suspicion" (french: école du soupçon)Quote1st ed: 1965
refers to his association of his theory with the writings of the three, who themselves never used this term,Ricœur, Paul (2008), p
32
and was coined in ''

Freud and Philosophy ''Freud and Philosophy: An Essay on Interpretation'' (french: De l'interprétation. Essai sur Sigmund Freud) is a 1965 book about Sigmund Freud, the founder of psychoanalysis, written by the French philosopher Paul Ricœur. In ''Freud and Philo ...

'' (1965). This

school A school is an educational institution designed to provide learning spaces and learning environments for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is sometimes compuls ...

is defined by a belief that the straightforward appearances of texts are

deceptive Deception or falsehood is an act or statement that misleads, hides the truth, or promotes a belief, concept, or idea that is not true. It is often done for personal gain or advantage. Deception can involve dissimulation, propaganda and sleight o ...

or self-deceptive and that explicit content hide deeper meanings or implications.

Overview

Hans-Georg Gadamer Hans-Georg Gadamer (; ; February 11, 1900 – March 13, 2002) was a German philosopher of the continental tradition, best known for his 1960 ''magnum opus'', '' Truth and Method'' (''Wahrheit und Methode''), on hermeneutics. Life Family an ...

, in his 1960

magnum opus A masterpiece, ''magnum opus'' (), or ''chef-d’œuvre'' (; ; ) in modern use is a creation that has been given much critical praise, especially one that is considered the greatest work of a person's career or a work of outstanding creativity, ...

'' Truth and Method'' (German: ''Wahrheit und Methode''), offers perhaps the most systematic survey of

hermeneutics Hermeneutics () is the theory and methodology of interpretation, especially the interpretation of biblical texts, wisdom literature, and philosophical texts. Hermeneutics is more than interpretative principles or methods used when immediate c ...

in the 20th century. The title of the work indicates his dialogue between claims of "truth" on the one hand and the processes of "method" on the other—in brief, the

hermeneutics of faith Hermeneutics of faith, the counterpart to hermeneutics of suspicion, is a manner in which a text may be read, "a hermeneutic not of irresponsible iconoclasm, nor of prideful play, but of charity and humility." It was the traditional or predominant w ...

and the ''hermeneutics of suspicion''. Gadamer suggests that, ultimately, one must decide between one and the other when reading.

Ruthellen Josselson Ruthellen Josselson is professor of clinical psychology at The Fielding Graduate University and a psychotherapist in practice. Work She was formerly a professor at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Towson University, a visiting professor at Ha ...

similarly writes, "Ricoeur distinguishes between two forms of hermeneutics: a hermeneutics of faith which aims to restore meaning to a text and a hermeneutics of suspicion which attempts to decode meanings that are disguised." According to literary theorist

Rita Felski Rita Felski (born 1956) is an academic and critic, who holds the John Stewart Bryan Professorship of English at the University of Virginia and is a former editor of ''New Literary History''. She is also Niels Bohr Professor at the University of Sou ...

, hermeneutics of suspicion is "a distinctively modern style of interpretation that circumvents obvious or self-evident meanings in order to draw out less visible and less flattering truths." Felski further writes: Felski also notes that the "'hermeneutics of suspicion' is the name usually bestowed on technique of reading texts against the grain and between the lines, of cataloging their omissions and laying bare their contradictions, of rubbing in what they fail to know and cannot represent." In that sense, it can be seen as being related to

ideology critique The critique of ideology is a concept used in critical theory, literary studies, and cultural studies. It focuses on analyzing the ideology found in cultural texts, whether those texts be works of popular culture or high culture, philosophy or ...

. Felski has built on Ricœur's theory in outlining her influential theory of

postcritique In literary criticism and cultural studies, postcritique is the attempt to find new forms of reading and interpretation that go beyond the methods of critique, critical theory, and ideological criticism. Such methods have been characterized as a ...

.Giusti, F.
"Passionate Affinities: A Conversation with Rita Felski"
''

Los Angeles Review of Books The ''Los Angeles Review of Books'' (''LARB'' is a literary review magazine covering the national and international book scenes. A preview version launched on Tumblr in April 2011, and the official website followed one year later in April 2012. ...

'', September 25, 2019.

References

{{reflist 1970s neologisms Hermeneutics Literary criticism

Overview

See also

References