Abstract

This paper focuses on the relationship between Karl Jaspers’ early work and practice theories of Foucault and Bourdieu. Compared with the hermeneutical tra- dition world views seem outdated after the end of a normative understanding of hermeneutics. As a consequence we need to turn to plural practices of understanding instead. Looking on Jaspers’ Psychopathology and Psychology of Worldviews a change of perspective from and beyond Jaspers leads to a future-oriented conception of psychopathology. Practices of understanding enable an emancipatory-practical potential of therapeutic practices as well as of hermeneu- tic understanding in the sense of “a realization of freedom unburdened by norma- tive demands”.