förförståelsen

Förförståelsen is a German term that translates to "pre-understanding" or "prejudice" in English, though it carries a more nuanced philosophical meaning than the common English connotation of negative bias. In hermeneutics, the philosophical study of interpretation, förförståelsen refers to the background knowledge, assumptions, and expectations that an interpreter brings to a text or phenomenon. This pre-existing framework shapes how the interpreter understands and makes sense of what they are encountering.

Philosophers like Hans-Georg Gadamer extensively explored this concept, arguing that förförståelsen is not something to be eliminated but is a necessary condition for understanding. We cannot approach a text with a blank slate; rather, our historical and cultural situatedness inevitably influences our interpretation. Förförståelsen is comprised of our prejudices, not in the sense of unfounded judgments, but as pre-judgments or prior orientations that allow us to grasp the meaning of something.

The process of interpretation, according to this view, is a dialogue between the interpreter's förförståelsen and the text itself. As the interpreter engages with the text, their pre-understandings are challenged, modified, and expanded. This dynamic interaction leads to a "fusion of horizons," where the interpreter's perspective and the horizon of the text merge, resulting in a deeper and more comprehensive understanding. Therefore, förförståelsen is not a hindrance to interpretation but an essential component that enables it.