Iranian Institute for Social & Cultural Research Journal of Iranian Cultural Research 2008-1847 1 4 2009 02 21 Hermeneutics and the Historicity of Human Understanding Hermeneutics and the Historicity of Human Understanding 159 184 26 10.7508/ijcr.2008.04.008 FA Gholamreza Jamshidnia Associate Professor of Sociology, University of Tehran Vahid Shalchi PhD Candidate of Cultural Sociology, University of Tehran Journal Article Whether objectivity in the understanding of history is achivable? Putting  in another way, whether it is possible to account a historical event purely objectively, and free of one's own values, attitudes, and interests? Whether it is possible to have a "complete history'' and a complete explanation of any historical matter? If it is not possible, then it necessarily leads to a relativistic approach which finds any historical narrative acceptable? Are there any criteria according to which one could compare truthfulness of various historical narratives? The present study approach these questions hermeneutically. However, not all hermeneutical approaches answer them alike. Denying the relativist approach, this study attempts to analyze historicity of the human understanding and that of the interpreter him/herself. Whether objectivity in the understanding of history is achivable? Putting  in another way, whether it is possible to account a historical event purely objectively, and free of one's own values, attitudes, and interests? Whether it is possible to have a "complete history'' and a complete explanation of any historical matter? If it is not possible, then it necessarily leads to a relativistic approach which finds any historical narrative acceptable? Are there any criteria according to which one could compare truthfulness of various historical narratives? The present study approach these questions hermeneutically. However, not all hermeneutical approaches answer them alike. Denying the relativist approach, this study attempts to analyze historicity of the human understanding and that of the interpreter him/herself. http://www.jicr.ir/article_26_4e732ced3463d06de0ca9a15b6153677.pdf