Gadamer's Hermeneutical Rethinking on the Idea of the University

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Document Type : Research Paper

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Assistant professor, Department of Philosophy, University of Kurdistan, Sanandaj, Iran

10.22034/jpiut.2026.71043.4403

Abstract

Abstract

The philosophical rethinking on the idea of the university and its specific functions did not necessarily coincide with the establishment of universities, but rather is a later matter, and its beginnings can be traced back to von Humboldt’s reflections in the nineteenth century. Gadamer’s reflections regarding the idea of the university, as well as its problematic relationship with the institution of politics, are rooted in this German tradition and are complementary to it. However, one cannot undoubtedly ignore the principles of his philosophical hermeneutics in the way he views the “essence” of the university. The central claim of this article is that Gadamer’s attitude towards the idea of Bildung in his various works has more or less determined the totality of his perspective regarding the idea of the university. In this article, we will use a descriptive-analytical method to review the views of Gadamer's contemporaries on the idea of the university, while also pointing out its historical context, especially in the midst of the Nazi rise in Germany, the difficulty of decision-making by academic elites, and Gadamer's analysis of it. Our overall goal is to highlight the problematic situation of academic elites in similar critical conditions and the necessity of philosophical rethinking of the idea of the university and its task in such conditions.

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Journal of Philosophical Investigations

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 06 January 2026

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