Paul Ricoeur’s concept of hermeneutics is one of the most significant developments in contemporary epistemology and philosophy of interpretation. Ricoeur attempts to bridge the gap between traditional theories of understanding and modern critical approaches by presenting hermeneutics as a philosophy of interpretation concerned with the meaning of texts, symbols, and human existence. His hermeneutics is influenced by phenomenology, existentialism, structuralism, and psychoanalysis, making it a comprehensive theory of knowledge and interpretation. Ricoeur defines hermeneutics as the theory and practice of interpreting expressions of meaning, especially those that have multiple layers of significance. According to him, human understanding is never immediate or transparent; it always requires interpretation because human experience is mediated through language, symbols, and cultural structures. He argues that symbols possess a surplus of meaning, meaning that they express more than what is immediately visible. Therefore, interpretation becomes necessary to uncover hidden dimensions of meaning. A central feature of Ricoeur’s hermeneutics is his