The Relationship between Text and Context in Secular Hermeneutics (on the Example of L. Valla’s Work “On the Forgery of Constantine’s Donation”): a Philosophical and Historical Perspective

The formation of secular hermeneutics in the 15th century was examined from the perspective of philosophical and historical analysis. For this purpose, L. Valla’s work “On the Forgery of Constantine’s Donation” has been studied. The arguments used by L. Valla to substantiate the falsified nature of the mentioned document were reconstructed and critically analyzed. The influence of the context (the socio-political conditions in Italy in the first half of the 15th century) on the given text formation was shown. The influence of the works of ancient philosophers (Aristotle) and historians (Thucydides) on the L. Valla's work was demonstrated. The hermeneutic question of the relationship between text and context was introduced into a broader panorama of problems in the history philosophy. The influence of L. Valla's ideas on the subsequent development of hermeneutics was demonstrated.

 EDN KGOHEU   

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