The Ethical Foundation of the Application inGadamerian Hermeneutics
From Jurisprudence to Medicine
Keywords:
Gadamer, application, ethics, medicine, practical knowledge, functionalism, adaptationAbstract
This paper focuses on the concept of application in Gadamerian philosophy. To this end, Gadamer’s work is examined with respect to two areas of application: law and medicine. First, the philosophical structure of application is presented. Subsequently, the text explores its development in the context of Wahrheit und Methode, particularly as it relates to the field of law. This framework provides the basis for the final section, in which the role of application in medicine is analyzed and its two characterizations are demarcated—namely, as the art of healing and as the science of health. Ultimately, it is concluded that application in medicine confronts the insurmountable moment of the patient’s normative claim and its practical consequences.
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