HERMENEUTICS OF INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION ON THE INTERNET

This paper examines the application of Hans-Georg Gadamer’s hermeneutic categories to the analysis of virtual interpersonal communication in the process of interactions on the internet. The author applies to the study of interpersonal communication such hermeneutic categories as: historically effected consciousness, subject matter, hermeneutic question, fore-structure of understanding, hermeneutic circle and fusion of horizon.

The paper consists of three parts, among which the introduction deals with advantages and disadvantages of both philosophical and digital hermeneutics. Digital humanities require new methods of research, thus hermeneutics in the digital space is still relevant. Philosophical hermeneutics based on Gadamer’s theory, realizes deep research across a great variety of phenomena in the field of digital humanities.

The second part gives a hermeneutic view of internet interactions and how hermeneutic categories can be applied to the analysis of virtual interpersonal communication. The contemporary era has changed the situation of interpersonal interaction, in that the hermeneutic situation occurs in virtual reality mediated by computers and other technical devices. The author comes to the conclusion that the hermeneutics of interpersonal communication methodologically has been modified. From that point of view not only digital codes but also philosophical hermeneutic categories still are relevant and can be applied to practice and research.