Hermeneutics refers to the approach of interpretation of the text, which includes biblical excerpts, the literature of wisdom, and other complicated text among others. Exegesis which is a synonym to the word Hermeneutics has extensive use in the domain of both verbal and non-verbal communication. In order to get an appropriate understanding of any particular text or excerpts, the presence of hermeneutics is inevitable. Hermeneutics saw its existence since the ancient Greek era. This aspect emerged as a part of the human theory initiated by Wilhelm Dilthey and Friedrich Schleiermacher. On the other hand, the critical theory includes an approach or a particular set of thoughts that is used to assess the society with the assistance of the knowledge gained from humanities as well as social sciences. In the ancient days, methods of inquiry primarily comprise a dialectic method where the argument was used to interpret a particular study or text. As per history is concerned the Critical Theory elaborates on the neo-Marxist philosophy established in Germany.

This philosophy was initiated by the philosopher Max Horkheimer the then director of Frankfurt School. Some of the famous philosophers that were involved with the use of such inquiry methods include Confucius, Aristotle, and St. Thomas Aquinas among others (Patricia, 2010). The two selected theory i.e. Hermeneutics and Critical theory are mainly compared with the intention to develop a better understanding of the two along with identifying the effectiveness of each of the theories in the present-day context (Roberge, 2011). The key issue of debate among the two philosophies Hermeneutics and Critical theory is due to the differences in the opinion of Hans-Georg Gadamer and Jurgen Habermas, and between Richard Rorty and Thomas McCarthy respectively.

Discussion

Key Aspects of Both the Inquiry Methods

It has been comprehended that both Hermeneutics and Critical theory have extensive prevalence in the present-day philosophical domain. Each of the concepts has its own set of key features, which is vital to discuss. Some of the specific characteristics of Hermeneutics inquiry include seeking a better understanding, situating the location of interpretation, understanding the role of language and history in text interpretation, inquiry in the form of conversation, and embracing ambiguity during inquiry among others.