[xmca] Understanding is no method but rather a form of communication

[Larry Purss <lpscholar2@gmail.com>]

I have been reflecting on action research and the turn it took into
discussing voice, tone of voice, and the loss or extinguishing of voice
when others are marginalized.

I came across this statement from Gadamer who wrote the foreword to the
book "Introduction to Philosophical Hermeneutics" by Jean Grondin.

"So, understanding is no method but rather a form of community among those
who understand each other. Thus a DIMENSION is OPENED up that is not just
one among many FIELDS of inquiry but rather constitutes the PRAXIS OF LIFE.

Gadamer is exploring the 2nd person voice and putting it play with the 1st
person and 3rd person voice.

I wanted to abstract this dis-position towards the 2nd voice. I want to now
embed this statement in its context. Gadamer wrote,

"But it was only when Dilthey and his school gained influence on the
phenomenological movement that understanding was no longer MERELY
juxtaposed with conceptualization and explanation."[Gadamer, foreword]

In other words, understanding came to be seen as constituting the very
fundamental structure of human becoming-in-the-world and moved to the very
center of philosophy.

"Thereby subjectivity and self-consciousness lost their primacy. Now there
is an Other who is not an object for the subject - but someone to whom we
are BOUND in the reciprocations of language and life. So, understanding is
no method but rather a form of COMMUNITY among those who understand each
other. Thus a dimension is opened up that is not just one among many fields
but rather constitutes the praxis of life." [Gadamer, foreword]

Gadamer's tone of voice may have something to contribute to action research.

Larry
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