Hermeneutical Circle

The hermeneutical circle refers to a process of interpretation in which understanding develops through repeated movement between details and overall meaning. A reader approaches a text with preliminary assumptions, interprets specific sections, and then adjusts their sense of the whole accordingly. That revised understanding, in turn, reshapes how individual parts are read. This process is ongoing rather than linear, emphasizing that interpretation deepens through engagement rather than reaching a final, fixed conclusion. The concept highlights how meaning emerges through interaction between reader, text, and context over time.