contextualism
Circumstances determine knowledge
Contextualism is the view that meaning, truth, or appropriateness depends on context rather than fixed standards.
In philosophy, it holds that the truth of claims like "I know X" varies with conversational circumstances.
In ethics, it suggests right action depends on situation rather than universal rules.
In architecture, contextualism means designing buildings that respond to their surroundings rather than imposing a style regardless of setting.
Study of interpretation methods
- exegesisCritical textual interpretation
- meaningWhat something signifies
- understandingMental comprehension of something
- construalAct of interpreting meaning
reading · perspective · horizon · Gadamer · reader-response
Prioritizing specific group interests
- judgmentReasoned decision-making capacity
- circumstancesConditions affecting an event
- case-by-caseEvaluated separately, not uniformly
- sensitivityResponsiveness to stimuli
exceptions · rules · principles · application · generalism · holism · reasons
Understood facts and skills
- justificationReason proving rightness
- skepticismDisposition toward doubt
- foundationalismKnowledge rests on basics
- know-howPractical ability to accomplish
certainty · warrant · assertion · stakes · threshold · Hawthorne · Stanley · Lewis
What something signifies
- referenceDirecting attention elsewhere
- propositionStatement expressing a judgment
- utteranceSpoken expression aloud
- semanticsStudy of linguistic meaning
pragmatics · presupposition · content · extension · Kaplan · demonstratives
hermeneutics
Study of interpretation methods
- exegesisCritical textual interpretation
- meaningWhat something signifies
- understandingMental comprehension of something
construal · reading · perspective · horizon · Gadamer · reader-response
particularism
Prioritizing specific group interests
- judgmentReasoned decision-making capacity
- circumstancesConditions affecting an event
- case-by-caseEvaluated separately, not uniformly
sensitivity · exceptions · rules · principles · application · generalism · holism · reasons
knowledge
Understood facts and skills
- justificationReason proving rightness
- skepticismDisposition toward doubt
- foundationalismKnowledge rests on basics
know-how · certainty · warrant · assertion · stakes · threshold · Hawthorne · Stanley · Lewis
meaning
What something signifies
- referenceDirecting attention elsewhere
- propositionStatement expressing a judgment
- utteranceSpoken expression aloud
semantics · pragmatics · presupposition · content · extension · Kaplan · demonstratives
contextualismliteralism
Exact meaning only
formalism · textualism · New Criticism · minimalism · close reading
contextualize, contextualized, contextualizing, contextualizes, decontextualize, contextualization, decontextualized, decontextualizing