Abstract The debate between explanation and interpretation is the fundamental controversy in the history of hermeneutics, rooted in the presupposed dualism of nature and spirit. Philosophical hermeneutics seeks to transcend this dualism through three “expansion” strategies: an expanded concept of truth, an expanded concept of existence, and an expanded concept of art. These correspond to three core questions: method or truth? history or future? technology or art? Fundamentally, these expansions are forms of resistance against the logic of identity inherent in science and technology. Today, facing a more complex existential situation and epistemic landscape, new technologies are opening new modes of existence—namely, digital-virtual existence characterized by universal algorithms and intelligence. Meanwhile, the spiritually expressive system based on the embodied existence of traditional natural humanity (the human sciences) is in decline. This raises the question: Can a hermeneutics oriented towards the universal method of the human sciences, grounded in the three expansions, still serve as the method of future philosophy or the humanities at large? With this question, we can reexamine various contemporary hermeneutic proposals.
Zhouxing Sun (Sun,) studied this question.