Epistemology of reading and interpretation

Reading and interpreting texts are familiar human activities, practiced within the academic environment and outside it. However, there is no good understanding of the precise way they work as sources of knowledge. In this book, René Van Wijdenberg explores the nature of reading and how it differs from perception and (relying on) benefit, which are widely recognized sources of knowledge. After distinguishing between seven conceptions of interpretation, Wijdenberg discusses whether every reading necessarily involves interpretation, and shows that although the activities of reading and interpretation often accompany each other, they are not identical. He then argues that both reading and interpretation can be ways to the truth according to its realistic conception, and explains the conditions under which one is justified in believing that they indeed lead us to the truth. Meanwhile, he provides a clear and new analysis of reading, significance, interpretation, and interpretive knowledge.