Questions & explanations
1. How can the hermeneutic circle be applied to interpreting a film?
To interpret a film, you first watch the whole movie and get a general impression of its plot and themes. Then you analyze individual scenes, shots, and dialogue in light of that overall impression. For example, in the film 'The Matrix,' the whole movie is about reality and illusion. When you see the scene where Neo takes the red pill, you understand it as a choice between comfortable illusion and harsh truth. But as you analyze that scene's details—the mirrors, the color red—your understanding of the whole film deepens. You might then revise your initial impression, seeing the film as also about self-discovery. This back-and-forth is the hermeneutic circle.
2. What is the main difference between historical musicology and systematic musicology?
Historical musicology studies music's past, like composers, styles, and social context, using historical methods. Systematic musicology looks at music's universal aspects, like acoustics, perception, and cognition, using scientific methods. Historical musicology asks 'how did music change over time?' while systematic musicology asks 'what is music and how do we experience it?' Their philosophical assumptions differ: historical musicology assumes music is shaped by culture and history, while systematic musicology assumes music has universal, measurable properties. Both approaches can complement each other in understanding music fully.
3. Compare creationism and Meinongianism on whether fictional characters exist before they are written about.
Creationism says characters do not exist before the author writes about them; they are brought into being by the creative act. Meinongianism says characters always existed as non-existent objects; the author just discovers or describes them. For example, creationists would say that before Shakespeare wrote Hamlet, there was no such character. Meinongians would say Hamlet always had being, but Shakespeare made him known. Creationism fits our intuition that authors invent, while Meinongianism fits the idea that we can discover truths about characters. Each theory has strengths and weaknesses in explaining fictional reference.
4. Give an example of applying the hermeneutic circle to a short poem.
Take Robert Frost's poem 'The Road Not Taken.' First, you read the whole poem and get a general sense that it is about a choice between two paths. Then you examine each stanza: the first describes the two roads, the second says one was less traveled, the third says both were equally worn, and the last stanza says the choice made all the difference. Noticing that the second stanza says 'the one less traveled by' but the third says 'had worn them really about the same' changes your understanding of the whole poem. The circle helps you see the poem is about how we tell stories about our choices, not about individualism.
5. How does the method of historical musicology differ from that of systematic musicology in terms of evidence?
Historical musicology relies on primary sources like manuscripts, letters, and historical recordings. It interprets these texts to reconstruct past musical practices and meanings. Systematic musicology uses empirical evidence from experiments, acoustic measurements, and statistical analysis. For example, a historical musicologist might study a composer's sketchbook to understand their creative process. A systematic musicologist might measure the acoustic properties of concert halls to study sound perception. Historical evidence is often unique and qualitative, while systematic evidence is repeatable and quantitative.
6. Creationism in fiction says that characters are created by authors. Give an example of a character that was created by an author, and explain what it means for that character to be 'created.'
Creationism holds that fictional characters like Harry Potter are brought into existence by J.K. Rowling's act of writing. Before she wrote the books, Harry Potter did not exist in any sense. After creation, the character has properties like being a wizard, but these properties depend on the story. Creationists argue that characters are abstract artifacts that depend on human activity. This view contrasts with Meinongianism, which says characters exist independently. Creationism seems natural because we say 'Rowling created Harry Potter,' but it faces questions about how an author can create something non-physical.
7. How does contextualism use authorial intention to determine a work's identity?
Contextualism often holds that the author's intention is part of what makes a work what it is. For example, if an author writes a poem that can be read as a love poem or a political satire, the author's intended meaning helps fix the work's identity. Contextualists argue that without considering intention, we cannot tell which interpretation is correct. However, textualists object that intentions are private and not part of the work itself. Contextualists reply that intentions are publicly accessible through evidence like letters or historical context. This view emphasizes that works are products of human action.
8. Give an example where textualism and contextualism would disagree about whether two versions of a work are the same.
Consider a revised edition of a novel where the author changes the ending. Textualism would say that the revised version is a different work because the text is different. Contextualism might say it is the same work because the author's intention and the overall story remain similar. For instance, if an author changes a character's fate, textualists see two distinct works; contextualists may see one work with two versions. Another example: a translation. Textualism says the translation is a different work because the words differ; contextualism might say it is the same work if it conveys the same meaning.
9. Compare the role of the reader in Schleiermacher's and Gadamer's hermeneutics.
In Schleiermacher's view, the reader's job is to set aside their own biases and reconstruct the author's intended meaning. The reader is like a detective trying to get inside the author's head. In Gadamer's view, the reader cannot and should not set aside their own horizon. Instead, understanding happens when the reader's horizon and the text's horizon merge. The reader actively engages with the text, bringing their own questions and experiences. So Schleiermacher sees the reader as a passive receiver of the author's meaning, while Gadamer sees the reader as an active participant in creating meaning.
10. Why is it important to consider the director's gender when analyzing a film through feminist theory?
The director's gender can affect how women are shown because male and female directors may have different experiences and perspectives. A female director might be more aware of how women are often objectified and may choose to show them more realistically. For example, a male director might focus on a woman's appearance, while a female director might focus on her thoughts and feelings. However, it is not automatic—some male directors make feminist films, and some female directors make films that follow stereotypes. So we should consider the director's gender but not assume it decides everything.
11. Why might a systematic musicologist criticize historical musicology, and vice versa?
A systematic musicologist might criticize historical musicology for being subjective and not producing generalizable knowledge. They might say historical studies are just stories, not science. A historical musicologist might criticize systematic musicology for ignoring cultural and historical context. They might say reducing music to numbers misses its human meaning. Both criticisms highlight the need for interdisciplinary work. Ideally, the two approaches can inform each other: historical insights can guide systematic hypotheses, and systematic findings can enrich historical interpretation.
12. How does possibilism differ from Meinongianism regarding fictional characters?
Possibilism says that fictional characters are possible objects that could have existed in some other possible world, but they do not actually exist in our world. For example, Sherlock Holmes is a possible person who never became actual. Meinongianism, by contrast, says that fictional objects have a kind of being even in our world, just not concrete existence. Possibilism avoids the idea of non-existent objects by placing fictions in other possible worlds. Both theories try to explain how we can refer to fictions, but possibilism ties them to possibility rather than a special mode of being.