Discusses how the insights of Hans-Georg Gadamer alter our understanding of literary theory and interpretation. The author surveys modern hermeneutics from Schleiermacher to Ricoeur, situating Gadamer's specifically philosophical hermeneutics in the context of an ongoing dialogue.

In the final chapter of the book, "The Question of the Classic," Weinsheimer explores the implications of this analysis of Gadamer's hermeneutics for the current debate concerning the study of the canon and the classic.

Modern hermeneutics - an introductory overview
what is philosophical about philosophical hermeneutics?
Kant and the aesthetics of history
Metaphor as a Metaphor of understanding
a word is not a sign
the question of the classic.