Hermeneutics and Perspectivalism | Dr. William Roach

Mere Simulacrity, Session 2

Throughout the ages, theological and philosophical movements have been advanced based upon
half-truths, false rhetoric, and equivocations championed as axiomatic principles.

Theologians and philosophers, whether they are evangelical or non-evangelical, still use
similar rhetorical devices to champion claims that undercut the concept of a universally valid
approach to knowledge. They will say things such as: People have different perspectives, right?
Clearly your background and personal biases influence your reading of the Bible or any other
text, right? It would be overly prideful to claim that anyone particular person has the correct
interpretation of the text, so why don’t you take a humbler approach?
Fundamental to these questions is a half-truth; namely, the fact that people do approach
events, texts, or situations from different vantage points. However, underlying this approach is a
philosophical commitment to the belief we cannot have universally valid frameworks of
understanding. Many believe any commitment to a universally valid framework of understanding
ought to be considered arrogant, white, western, patriarchal, or racist. Essential to this line of
reasoning are one of many philosophical approaches to reality known as idealism, subjectivity,
relativism, perspectivalism, or any other “ism” that affirms all we have are interpretations, not
knowledge.

Dr. Bill Roach traces the rise of different idealistic revolutions up to the present day
embrace of the existential method by evangelical scholars and pastors. He addresses Plato’s
metaphysical idealistic, Kant’s epistemological idealistic revolution, Schleiermacher’s
hermeneutical idealistic revolution, and Post-Modernism’s linguistic idealistic revolution.
Special emphasis is placed upon leading figures in philosophical hermeneutics and the various
ways present-day scholars, whether secular or evangelical, have embraced one or more of the
various expressions of philosophical idealism. Dr. Roach concludes with a call to embrace
philosophical realism as a corrective to the varying idealistic revolutions throughout the history
of ideas.

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