Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Date of Award

1-1-2022

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

M.A. in Philosophy

First Advisor

Neil A. Manson

Second Advisor

Timothy P. Yenter

Third Advisor

Steven Skultety

School

University of Mississippi

Relational Format

dissertation/thesis

Abstract

There are two groups which claim that proper textual interpretation does not require extratextual information. They posit that the meaning of texts is discoverable from the words of the text and/or an individual's reason alone. Thus, no extratextual information is required to arrive at a cogent and coherent interpretation. The medieval Karaites reject the notion that there is any such thing as interpretive precedent and everyone's interpretation, when guided by reason, is as valid and coherent as anyone else's. Early Protestant Reformers such as John Calvin and Martin Luther argue that all one needs to interpret the Bible is the text, and assistance from the Holy Spirit. I argue against both positions. I show that these two separate interpretive frameworks, both of which exclude extratextual information, yield interpretive results that are incoherent and contradictory. I argue that this is because interpretable texts themselves cannot exist without a causal chain of interpretation. Therefore, by the time an interpreter interprets a text, a vast amount of extratextual information has already been smuggled in. Thus, the very act of interpretation employs extratextual information, whether or not the interpreter believes that extratextual information is required to interpret a text.

Concentration/Emphasis

Philosophy

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