The Theoretical and Practical Problem of Gadamer’s Legal Hermeneutics

Abstract

Jean Grondin, following Gadamer, emphasized the universality of hermeneutics as a method underlying all forms of knowledge: science, history, religion, and law. In this context, legal hermeneutics involves interpreting norms through the dialectic between general principles and specific applications. This study situates Gadamer’s thought within the legal-philosophical tradition, asking how his hermeneutics engaged with the legal theory of his time, whether it countered dominant scientistic approaches, and how it connects to a broader philosophy of human action.