FIVE (Six) THEORIES OF INTERPRETATION
Theory |
Description |
Goal of interpretation |
Problems/issues |
Actual intentionalism (AI) |
Meaning of work is what author intended |
What did artist mean? Goal of art is communication from artist to audience |
Unrealized intentions Example: Jokes that are not funny even though intended to be so |
Moderate actual intentionalism (MAI) |
Meaning is author’s realized intentions (in part) |
What did the artist successfully mean? |
Might the work mean more than this? |
Hypothetical intentionalism (HI) |
Meaning determined by most justified account of what an author might have intended |
What a possible author most likely to have meant by this work |
Author’s actual intentions might be very different: James’ Turn of the Screw. View gives up intentionalism for value max? |
Value maximization (VM)
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Interpretation that maximize work’s artistic value is work’s true meaning
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Goal of interpretation to maximize the rewards of appreciation (consistent with respecting the identity and content of work) |
Goal of interpretation should be to understand art (including its weaknesses) |
Meaning constructivism (MC) |
Interpretations create new meanings (hence artworks) |
To create significance for the interpreter |
Interpretations (like descriptions or pointing at things) don’t alter what they interpret |
“Best fit view” |
Privileges the interpretation(s) that seems to best fit the text/artwork, independent of (1) artist’s intentions or (2) maximizing artistic value (VM) or (3) reading in significance for audiences (MC) |
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