Fo e on in Sociology & Poli ical Sciences
Volume. 2, Issue. 2, 2025, 15–16
E-ISSN: 3048-7617. www.scien i ic o e on .o g
REVIEW ARTICLE
REVIEW ARTICLE
Tex as a Tool o Unde s anding he Sel : A Li e a u e
Re iew be ween He meneu ics (Gadame ) and Cul u al
Psychoanalysis
Samah Hamza Ib ahim Al-Fa lawi1
1Assis . Lec u e , Al-Fu a Al-Awsa Technical Uni e si y - Naja Technical Ins i u e – Depa men o Fo ensic and
Fo ensic E idence Technologies, I aq
s[email p o ec ed].
Recei ed: Augus 24, 2025; Accep ed: Sep embe 27, 2025; Published: Oc ombe 03, 2025.
Abs ac
Gadame iews he ex as an open he meneu ical space o dialogue, in which he sel is unde s ood h ough he usion o
his o ical and linguis ic ho izons. Unde s anding is no a pu ely indi idual ac bu a he a dialec ical p ocess be ween he
eade and he ex , media ed by his o y and language. Meanwhile, p oponen s o cul u al-psychological analysis ega d
he ex as a symbolic ool o o ganizing consciousness. Wo ds, na a i e, and w i ing a e no me e eflec ions o he sel
bu media ing ins umen s ha eshape i in e nally, since he ex ac i a es highe psychological unc ions— hinking,
memo y, and sel -awa eness— h ough cul u al media ion and social in e ac ion. Bo h pe spec i es ejec an indi idualis ic
concep ion o he sel : o Gadame , unde s anding is ealized his o ically and linguis ically; o cul u al psychology, i
is ealized unc ionally h ough symbolic media ion. Thus, he ex encompasses wo complemen a y dimensions: one
philosophical-he meneu ical, and he o he cul u al-psychological.
Keywo ds: Tex , Sel , He meneu ics, Gadame , Analysis, Tool.
In oduc ion
The ex cons i u es one o he mos impo an media in which
philosophy and psychology in e sec in hei a emp s o unde -
s and he human sel . In philosophical s udies, we ind Gadame ,
wi hin his he meneu ics, emphasizing ha sel -unde s anding can
only be achie ed h ough ex s ha engage in hei in e p e a ion
wi hin a his o ical-cul u al ho izon. In cul u al psychology, pa -
icula ly wi hin he ideas o Vygo sky and i s o shoo s, he ex -
ep esen ed by w i en language, pe sonal na a i e, and cul u al
ela ions-appea s as a symbolic ool ha eshapes consciousness
and he sel .
This s udy seeks o explo e he simila i ies and di e ences be ween
he ex as an in e p e i e ool o Gadame and he ex as a sym-
bolic medium in cul u al psychology, wi h he aim o highligh ing
how he ex can be a space o unde s anding he sel h ough wo
dimensions: philosophical and in e p e i e, on he one hand, and
psychological and cul u al, on he o he .
P esen a ion
In Gadame ’s he meneu ics, we ind ha he ex is me ely a ixed
essel o a ixed meaning, bu a he a space in which meaning is
enewed by he enewal o he dialogue be ween he eade and he
ex . The sel can only unde s and i sel h ough a ho izon o in e-
g a ion whe e he pas mee s he p esen . Tha is, he ex bea s a
his o ical-linguis ic cha ac e ha in e p e s a con inuous p ocess
o econs uc ing meaning and unde s anding he sel [1].
In o he wo ds, he ex explains a symbolic issue in mode n
he meneu ics: Is he ex me ely a essel o a eady-made meaning,
o is i an open space whose conno a ions a e enewed wi h e e y
ac o in e p e a ion? Gadame ejec s he classical concep ion ha
conside s he ex a ca ie o a ixed meaning awai ing disco e y,
and belie es ha he ex anscends being a eposi o y o meaning
o become a li ing a ena o in e ac ion and enewal[1].
Gadame ’s concep o ho izon usion sugges s ha he eade comes
o a ex bea ing his o he own cul u al and his o ical ho izon, bu
he ex i sel ep esen s ano he his o ical ho izon. Unde s anding
Copy igh
©
All igh s a e ese ed by Au ho (s) 2025. Published by Fo e on in Sociology & Poli ical Sciences. This is an Open Access a icle which
pe mi s un es ic ed euse, dis ibu ion, and ep oduc ion in any medium, p o ided he o iginal wo k is p ope ly ci ed.
15
16 |Fo e on in Sociology & Poli ical Sciences, 2025, Volume. 2, Issue. 2
is only achie ed h ough he in e ac ion o hese wo ho izons— ha
is, he encoun e be ween he pas , ep esen ed by he ex and a-
di ion, and he p esen , ep esen ed by he eade . He e, i becomes
clea ha he sel does no unde s and i sel in isola ion, bu a he
h ough dialogue wi h ex s ha ep esen his o ical and cul u al
adi ions[1].
He e, we ind he s eng h o he a gumen in Gadame ’s in e p e-
i e p ojec lies in i s emphasis on he dynamism o unde s anding
and i s highligh ing o he his o ical-cul u al dimension o he ex .
Fo Gadame , he ex is no a ca ie o s a ic meaning, bu a he
a li ing space o in e p e a ion. The sel only becomes awa e o
i sel h ough he usion o ho izons, which makes unde s anding
an ongoing his o ical-linguis ic p ocess. This ision makes he ex
a ool o he o ma ion o sel - and cul u al awa eness, no me ely
an objec o eading[1].
In cul u al psychoanalysis, we ind Vygo sky and his s uden s (Lu ia,
B uns, and We sch) iewing he ex as a symbolic ool ha o ga-
nizes hough and eshapes he psychological s uc u e. Pe sonal
na a i es, ep esen ed by w i ing and w i en language, a e no neu-
al, bu a he cul u al psychological ools ha g an he indi idual
he abili y o gain insigh in o hemsel es. Cul u al psychoanalysis
emphasizes ha he sel is no only cons uc ed in e nally, bu also
h ough engagemen wi h symbolic sys ems such as cul u al ex s,
social discou se, and language[2].
W i en ex s and language a e no me ely a means o communi-
ca ion o con eying meaning. Ra he , hey a e unde s ood wi hin
he amewo k o cul u al psychoanalysis as symbolic ools ha
con ibu e o o ganizing hough , eshaping he indi idual’s in e nal
psychological s uc u e, and g an ing he sel he abili y o eflec .
Vygo sky dis inguished be ween ma e ial ools, such as a hamme
and psychological ools such as language, symbols, and numbe s.
Tex s, whe he w i en, na a i e, o discou se, a e cul u al psycho-
logical ools ha play a ole in eo ganizing men al p ocesses. These
ools do no ope a e solely a he indi idual le el, bu a e de i ed
om cul u e and a e in e nally e-psychologized[3].
The ex ejec s he indi idualis ic concep ion o he sel as in some
classical psychological schools, and ha he sel , acco ding o his
pe spec i e, is no only an in e nal biological p oduc , bu also a
p oduc o engagemen in symbolic sys ems such as cul u al ex s,
such as books, my hs, and li e a u e, and social discou se such as
dialogue, discussion, and public discou se. This eflec s he essence
o he Vygo skian idea ha consciousness is o med socially and
cul u ally and hen in e nally ec ea ed[4].
Analysis and C i icism
By s udying his opic, we can iden i y poin s o ag eemen and dis-
ag eemen , and how o combine he wo. We ind ha bo h Gadame
and cul u al psychology ag ee ha he sel canno be unde s ood in
isola ion om he ex . Fo Gadame , i is h ough his o ical in e p e-
a ion, and o cul u al psychology, i is h ough symbolic media ion.
Bo h ejec he indi idualis ic concep ion o he sel and belie e
ha meaning is o med wi hin a cul u al-linguis ic con ex [5].
While Gadame p oceeds om a he meneu ic philosophical pe -
spec i e ha ocuses on he condi ions o his o ical unde s anding,
cul u al psychology p oceeds om a s uc u al unc ional pe spec-
i e ha ocuses on he psychological impac o symbolic ools in
shaping consciousness. Fo Gadame , he ex ep esen s a con in-
uous ield o dialogue, while o Vigoszeki and he cul u al school,
he ex ep esen s a ool o o ganizing men al p ocesses and sel -
awa eness[2].
Th ough his, we ind ha he ex ca ies wo complemen a y di-
mensions. The i s is a philosophical, con empla i e dimension, as
he ex opens ho izons o unde s anding he sel h ough his o y
and language. The second is a psychological, cul u al dimension,
in which we ind ha he ex eo ganizes he sel h ough angible
symbolic media ion such as w i ing, na a ion, and language[1].
Conclusion
Th ough s udying his opic, I eached he ollowing conclusions:
•
The ex ep esen s a dual medium o unde s anding he sel ,
as, acco ding o Gadame ’s hough , i ep esen s a space o
his o ical in e p e a ion ha e eals hidden dimensions o he
eade ’s iden i y.
•
In cul u al psychology, he ex ep esen s a symbolic ool ha
econs uc s consciousness and g an s he indi idual he abili y
o sel - eflec .
•
Combining he wo pe spec i es expands ou unde s anding
o he sel , as he conce n can only be achie ed h ough he
symbolic in e play wi h he his o ical and he cul u al, wi h he
psychological. This makes he ex an essen ial ool in human
s udies, no as an isola ed indi idual, bu as an en i y li ing
wi hin a ne wo k o symbols and cul u al adi ions.
Index
i.
Gadame , H.-G., T u h and Me hod (2nd e . ed., J. Weinsheime
& D. G. Ma shall, T ans.). London, 2004, pp: 339–340.
ii. Gadame , H.-G., T u h and Me hod, pp: 383.
iii. Gadame , H.-G., T u h and Me hod, pp: 302.
i . Gadame , H.-G., T u h and Me hod, pp: 340.
.
Le Vygo sky, Mind in Socie y: The De elopmen o Highe Psy-
chological P ocesses. Camb idge, MA: Ha a d Uni e si y P ess,
1978, pp: 57.
i.
W e ch, J., Voices o he Mind: A Sociocul u al App oach o
Media ed Ac ion. Camb idge, MA: Ha a d Uni e si y P ess, 1991,
pp: 12.
ii.
Lu ia, A. R., Cogni i e De elopmen : I s Cul u al and Social
Founda ions. Camb idge, MA: Ha a d Uni e si y P ess, 1976, pp:
18.
iii.
W e ch, J., Voices o he Mind: A Sociocul u al App oach o
Media ed Ac ion, pp: 15.
ix. Le Vygo sky, Mind in Socie y, pp: 55.
x. Gadame , H.-G., T u h and Me hod, pp: 404.
Re e ences
1.
H.-G. Gadame , T u h and Me hod, 2nd ed. London: Con inuum,
2004.
2.
L. Vygo sky, Mind in Socie y: The De elopmen o Highe Psy-
chological P ocesses. Camb idge, MA: Ha a d Uni e si y P ess,
1978.
3.
J. V. We sch, Voices o he Mind: A Sociocul u al App oach o
Media ed Ac ion. Camb idge, MA: Ha a d Uni e si y P ess,
1991.
4.
A. R. Lu ia, Cogni i e De elopmen : I s Cul u al and Social Foun-
da ions. Camb idge, MA: Ha a d Uni e si y P ess, 1976.
5.
J. V. We sch, Voices o he Mind: A Sociocul u al App oach o
Media ed Ac ion, 1991, p. 15.
6.
N. Alshammasi, “F om (saleh al-mu’minin) in su a al- ah im,
and why?! a compa a i e s udy be ween he in e p e e s o he
imami sheia and he sunni, wi h analysis and c i icism,” Al-Ha
Jou nal, ol. 1, no. 24, Ma ch 2025.
7.
S. J. Idan, M. M. Adibi, and M. Hussaini, “Condi ions and e idence
o he dissolu ion o a ma iage con ac in imami ju isp udence,
hana i ju isp udence, and i aqi law: Di o ce as a model (a com-
pa a i e s udy),” Al-Ha Jou nal, ol. 3, no. 24, pp. 5–6, Augus
2025.
