Ebook: Recovery of the Measure: Interpretation and Nature

“The world is as we interpret it.” Arguing that this assumption is a major and pervasive error, Neville demonstrates that the world is the measure of our interpretations. Distinguishing two traditions of hermeneutics, the continental tradition focusing on the interpretation of texts and the American tradition on the interpretation of nature; Neville argues that, since interpretation itself is part of the natural world, a philosophical vision of nature must be restored to currency in order to provide an interpretive theory of the world that can be a measure of interpretation. The natural world must be construed richly enough to be inclusive of human intention and purpose. By taking the discussion of hermeneutics from the context of textuality and placing it within that of nature, Recovery of the Measure provides a non-modernist and non-postmodernist theory of interpretation.

The first four chapters and the last four constitute a hermeneutical theory addressing contemporary problems of interpretation situated in the context of the philosophy of nature. The middle chapters provide a compact philosophy of nature dealing with being, identity, value, space, time, motion, and causation.

“Neville’s systematic, self-conscious employment of Peirce’s theory of the sign as a means of locating the project of a philosophy of nature within the context of contemporary hermeneutical thinking is extremely fortunate. By so doing Neville has opened his thought to a ready assessment by continental thinkers and has placed himself near the center of contemporary philosophic debate. Because of its timeliness, the brilliance of its arguments, and the profundity of its conclusions, there is good reason to believe that this work will shortly become the focus of genuine and widespread discussion. With the publication of this latest installment of his Axiology of Thinking, Neville emerges as one of the strongest voices in American philosophy.” —David L. Hall

Robert Cummings Neville is the author of 'New Essays in Metaphysics'; 'The Puritan Smile: A Look toward Moral Reflection; 'The Tao and the Daimon'; and 'Reconstruction of Thinking', all published by SUNY Press.