Discusses philosopher Martin Heidegger’s text, The Origin of the Work of Art.
Martin Heidegger’s “The Origin of the Work of Art” is no less ambitious a project than an attempt to discern the very source of art. As such, he attempts to investigate where art itself comes from. The paper shows that, in this complex work, he looks into the relationship of art, the artist, and truth. Further, he discusses the interpretation of art in terms of a circle of interpretation with many different aspects.
“The term hermeneutic circle is simply another way of describing Heidegger’s circle of interpretation in art. In The Origin of the Work of Art, Heidegger notes that you cannot fully understand a single part of a work until you understand the whole. Further, he notes that you cannot understand the whole of a work of art until you understand all of the parts of the art. On the surface, Heidegger’s circle of interpretation seems tautologous and circular, yet his circle is not a trap.”