Hermeneutics and heuristics are two methods that have been used in various disciplines for interpretive purposes and problem-solving skills. Hermeneutics interprets a text or event, while heuristics is a general strategy that helps find a solution to a problem. This blog post will discuss the difference between hermeneutics and heuristics and explore which method is more appropriate for your needs.

Hermeneutics Overview

Hermeneutics interprets texts, especially holy texts, by examining the author’s intention and highlighting the purpose of the text. It achieves these goals by offering numerous methodological principles of interpretation. An application of hermeneutics would follow these 3 steps:

1. To extract the author’s original meaning for writing the text to his original audience. 
2. To discover the meaning as it was understood by the original audience in its original context.
3. This should be done by carefully observing the text in its historical, grammatical, linguistic, rhetorical, contextual, and canonical setting.

Hermeneutics has been widely used to interpret the Bible, Torah, and Quran. It is also applied in other fields such as legal interpretation, art interpretation, and psychotherapy. The literature on hermeneutics is incredibly vast, with different schools of thought offering various approaches to interpretation.

Some notable Hermeneutic thinkers are:

• Gadamer
• Ricoeur
• Derrida
• Saussure

Heuristic Meaning

A heuristic technique is any practical method for solving a problem or discovering something that is not guaranteed to be optimal, perfect, or rational. However, this technique can still help you reach your short-term goals.[Source].

Heuristics means trying things out and finding out what works and doesn’t. It can also mean using techniques that help you learn and solve problems better through feedback. Common heuristic techniques include a trial and error approach, the rule of thumb, and an educated guess. 

 Heuristics in History

A heuristic approach is a general way of solving problems or discovering new information. This approach is not always optimal, but it can still help you reach your short-term goals.

The first recorded use of the term heuristic was in 1784 by George Berkeley in his work The Analyst:

“The business of calculus is chiefly to find out those general methods of reasoning, which are so nearly universal as to answer for all particular cases.”

Heuristic has been used in mathematics since 1826 when Pierre Laplace used it in his work Mécanique Céleste:

“The most important object of this analysis is to discover those general laws that the phenomena obey and ought to guide us in all our reasonings.”

In 1855, the heuristic was used by Augustus De Morgan in Formal Logic:

“Syllogism proceeds, or seems to proceed, by general principles; these principles are not proved, but are admitted as a heuristic.”

Heuristics were proposed to simplify the art of decision-making. It is very hard to come to a certain conclusion, hence the need to make the process easy and efficient. Heuristics approaches were derived from studies in psychology and cognitive science.

The most common heuristics are:

• The representativeness heuristic
• The availability heuristic
• The anchoring and adjustment heuristic
• The simulation heuristic.

Heuristics can be mental shortcuts or rules of thumb that help you arrive at a conclusion more quickly. When applied to problem-solving, heuristics can help you find a good solution, even if it’s not the best possible solution.

Difference between Hermeneutics and Heuristics

The difference between hermeneutics and heuristics is that heuristic “relates to general strategies or methods for solving problems” while hermeneutics “explains, interprets, illustrates or elucidates” [Source]. This means that hermeneutics point to interpreting texts while an individual uses heuristics to tackle problems faced. Hermeneutics is bound by certain rules to be followed, but heuristics are quite liberal. 

Heuristic “involving or serving as an aid to learning, discovery, or problem-solving by experimental and especially trial-and-error method” and hermeneutic is the “study of the methodological principles of interpretation (bound by specific rules)” [Source].

Similarities between Hermeneutics and Heuristics

The similarity between hermeneutics and heuristics is related to providing solutions to problems. For example, hermeneutics offers interpretation solutions to those who want to understand certain sacred books. Heuristics are useful in giving resolutions regarding a trial and error approach and a rule of thumb. Also, hermeneutics and heuristics can be viewed as interpretive approaches since they dissect texts and decision-making validity. Hermeneutics is the easiest way of unraveling the truth behind a text. Both heuristics and hermeneutics offer prescribed ways of handling problems and understanding sacred texts. 

Heuristics and Hermeneutics in History

Heuristics and hermeneutics have been part of humanity for a long time because they aid social life and development. Heuristics provided the bedrock of solving problems and gave a prescription of applied solutions people can use for different situations. Through heuristics, people were empowered to confront their problems head on and have solutions at their fingertips. 

On the other hand, hermeneutics was utilized mainly by theologians and believers. Its foundation was embedded in decoding holy texts and finding out the authors’ true intentions. It unified people by offering universal meaning rather than having a subjective interpretation of the texts.