tolkningsproblem

Tolkningsproblemet, or interpretive problem, refers to the difficulty of determining the meaning, intent, or significance of a text, utterance, or signal when the information available is ambiguous, context-dependent, or incomplete. It is a central concern wherever communication or textual analysis occurs, spanning everyday language to specialised disciplines.

The problem arises from linguistic ambiguity, metaphor, irony, cultural or historical distance, and differing contexts. In law, tolkningsproblem describes how statutes, contracts, or regulations may be read in more than one way, requiring interpretation rules and doctrinal approaches to resolve ambiguity. In literature and philosophy, it concerns identifying authorial intention, thematic meaning, or readerly interpretations, often through hermeneutic methods. In linguistics and social sciences, interpretation involves context, discourse structure, presuppositions, and empirical data, all of which can shape conclusions about meaning.

Methods to address tolkningsproblemet include hermeneutics, pragmatics, and semiotics, as well as close reading, historical-contextual analysis, and explicit articulation of interpretive assumptions. Analysts may triangulate evidence from multiple sources, consider alternative readings, and distinguish between descriptive meanings and normative or evaluative judgments. Underdetermination—where data permit several plausible readings—is a common outcome, and transparency about methods is emphasized.

Tolkningsproblemet highlights the interpretive character of language and texts. It invites careful justification of conclusions, awareness of biases, and a systematic approach to weighing competing readings across contexts.