hermeneutiku

Hermeneutiku is a term used in Indonesian-language scholarship to refer to the field of hermeneutics—the theory and practice of interpretation. The standard Indonesian term is hermeneutika, but hermeneutiku may appear as a variant or possessive form in some texts. The word derives from Greek hermeneuein, to interpret, and covers how texts, discourse, symbols, and cultures are understood across contexts.

Historically, hermeneutics emerged from biblical exegesis and legal-rhetorical interpretation, evolving into a general theory of interpretation in modern philosophy. Wilhelm Dilthey, Friedrich Schleiermacher, and other 19th-century scholars contributed to its development, emphasizing the relationship between author, text, and reader. In the 20th century, Hans-Georg Gadamer expanded hermeneutics into a philosophy of understanding and dialogue, stressing the historical situatedness of the interpreter and the fusion of horizons. Paul Ricoeur added a narrative and methodological dimension, analyzing interpretation as a movement from text to meaning through layers of citation, symbol, and metaphor.

Core concepts include the hermeneutic circle, whereby understanding unfolds between the whole and its parts, and the idea that preconceptions and context shape interpretation. Debates center on objectivity, the role of authorial intention, and the potential for ideology critique, sometimes framed as a “hermeneutics of suspicion” drawing on Freudian, Marxist, and deconstructive perspectives.

Applications of hermeneutiku span theology, law, literature, philosophy, and the social sciences, in which researchers seek principled ways to interpret texts, practices, and cultural signs. In Indonesian academia, hermaneutika and related forms guide examination of sacred texts, literary works, and historical documents, emphasizing context, language, and interpretation as ongoing dialogue.