Abstract

This paper introduces a conceptual framework for computational hermeneutics that rethinks the relationship between interpretation and computation. Rather than treating interpretation as a purely humanistic or subjective act, the framework reconceptualizes it as the construction and manipulation of models—a process amenable to formalization and computational representation. Drawing on epistemology, systems theory, and knowledge representation, the paper highlights how corpora and interpretative models function as phenomenotechnical devices, shaping the very phenomena they aim to analyze. It argues that computational hermeneutics requires neither automation of interpretation nor superficial application of digital tools, but instead demands explicit, structured representations of interpretive processes. This approach enables the integration of reasoning, data modeling, and symbolic computation into traditionally qualitative domains, offering new avenues for human–machine collaboration in knowledge construction.