The Riddle of the Sphinx: Interpreting the Human World

This book is a collection of essays on the philosophy and methodology of the human sciences. There is increasing recognition that the study of the human world - much needed in the face of human problems - cannot confine itself to the methods of the physical sciences, because not only the observation of behavior but understanding of communications is required, W. Dilthey, whom Dr. Rickman has introduced to a wider English-speaking public by his writings, pioneered the idea of hermeneutics (the art of interpretation) as a model for a rigorous exploration of the human world. There has been growing interest in this subject and the majority of essays in this book address its nature, cognitive status, and limitations. Vico's and Dilthey's contribution and the relationship to rhetoric and literary appreciation are discussed. Its relationship to science and deconstruction receive special attention. Rickman is a visiting professor at the City University, London.