Hermeneutics is primarily concerned with the interpretation of texts, symbols, and other forms of communication.

Wilhelm Dilthey is often credited with laying the foundation for modern hermeneutics with his emphasis on understanding the historical and cultural context of texts.

Exegesis refers to the critical interpretation of a text, seeking to understand its meaning and significance from the author's perspective.

Reader-response hermeneutics places emphasis on the reader's subjective experience and interpretation of a text, rather than solely relying on the author's intended meaning.

Historicism is a hermeneutic approach that emphasizes the importance of understanding a text within its historical and cultural context.

Structuralist hermeneutics focuses on analyzing the underlying structures and patterns within a text, seeking to reveal its deeper meanings.

Marxist hermeneutics interprets texts through the lens of social and political theory, examining how they reflect and shape power structures and ideologies.

Feminist hermeneutics examines texts from a gender perspective, seeking to identify and challenge patriarchal biases and assumptions.

Postcolonial hermeneutics examines texts through the lens of colonialism and its aftermath, exploring how they reflect and shape power dynamics and cultural identities.

Analytic hermeneutics focuses on the relationship between language and reality, examining how language shapes our understanding of the world.

Ethical hermeneutics examines texts from an ethical perspective, exploring their moral implications and how they shape our understanding of right and wrong.

Religious hermeneutics interprets texts through the lens of religious traditions and beliefs, exploring their spiritual significance and how they shape our understanding of the divine.

Legal hermeneutics examines texts from a legal perspective, exploring their legal implications and how they shape our understanding of the law.

Scientific hermeneutics interprets texts through the lens of scientific and empirical methods, exploring their factual content and how they contribute to our understanding of the natural world.

Aesthetic hermeneutics examines texts from an artistic and aesthetic perspective, exploring their beauty, form, and style, and how they contribute to our understanding of art and culture.