Ethical dispositions in text study

This article explores an opportunity for the cultivation of moral dispositions through the hermeneutical activity performed by learners engaged in the study of texts. It seeks to direct teachers' attention to potential moral dimensions of the hermeneutical activity itself, an activity that might otherwise be perceived merely as a means to knowledge attainment. The paper discusses the nature of this hermeneutical activity drawing on the discipline of philosophical hermeneutics, especially on its concept of conversation between the learner and texts. Finally, it outlines a couple of challenges for teachers to explore as they engage students in this type of encounter with texts.