From the Will to Truth to the Will to Interpretation: A Study in the Ontology of the Will

Abstract

This research examines the philosophical shift from a central focus on the will to truth
to a horizon of the will to interpretation. This shift is not limited to the epistemological
level but extends to the ontological structure of human existence in contemporary
societies. While the will to truth, in the metaphysical tradition, was associated with
stability, certainty, and the claim of ultimate correspondence, the will to interpretation
expresses a historical awareness of the fluid nature of meaning and its role as a product
of symbolic struggles defined within language and discourse.
The research begins with the premise that the shift from truth to interpretation reflects
a change in the conditions of cultural hegemony. In complex societies, power is
exercised not only through direct force but also through the production of meaning and
the symbolic framing of reality. Consequently, interpretation becomes an active tool in
shaping collective consciousness, redefining legitimacy, and formulating the narratives
that constitute identity and history. In this sense, the will to interpretation can be
understood as a mechanism for redistributing power within the symbolic field,
reminiscent of Foucault's analyses of power and knowledge, and of deconstruction,
which revealed the instability and perpetual openness of meaning.