The essays in this book deal broadly with the question of what form reasoning about life and society can take in a culture permeated by scientific and technical modes of thought. They attempt to identify certain very basic types of questions that seem to escape scientific resolution and call for, in Gadamer's view, philosophical reflection of a hermeneutic sort.In effect, Gadamer argues for the continued practical relevance of Socratic-Platonic modes of thought in respect to contemporary issues. As part of this argument, he advances his own views on the interplay of science, technology, and social policy.These essays, which are not available in any existing translation or collection of Gadamer's work, are remarkably up-to-date with respect to the present state of his thinking, and they address issues that are particularly critical to social theory and philosophy.Perhaps more than anyone else, Hans-Georg Gadamer, who is Professor Emeritus at the University of Heidelberg and Distinguished Visiting Professor at Boston College, is the doyen of German Philosophy. His previously translated works have been widely and enthusiastically received in this country. He is recognized as the chief theorist of hermeneutics, a strong and growing movement here in a number of disciplines, from theology and literary criticism to philosophy and social theory.A book in the series Studies in Contemporary German Social Thought.

漢斯-格奧爾格·伽達默爾（德語：Hans-Georg Gadamer，1900年2月11日－2002年3月13日），德國哲學傢， 曾在大學攻讀文學、語言、藝術史、哲學，1922年獲博士學位。1929年後在馬堡大學、萊比锡大學、法蘭剋福大學和海德堡大學任教，主講美學、倫理學和哲學。自1940年起，伽達默爾先後任萊比锡、海德堡、雅典和羅馬科學院院士，德國哲學總會主席，國際黑格爾協會主席。