The Circle Closes
A Hermeneutic Experiment
Demonstrating all three arcs of the hermeneutic circle: self-audit, visibility, and feedback. The system reveals itself through itself.
View ASCII diagram
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ │
│ .ltd ◄──────────────────┐ │
│ (Philosophy) │ │
│ │ │ │
│ ▼ │ │
│ .io │ │
│ (Research) feedback │
│ │ │ │
│ ▼ │ │
│ .space │ │
│ (Practice) │ │
│ │ │ │
│ ▼ │ │
│ .agency ──────────────────┘ │
│ (Services) │
│ │
│ The hermeneutic circle closes │
│ when practice informs philosophy │
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
01 Self-Audit
The codebase measures itself against its own philosophy. The Subtractive Triad applied recursively: DRY, Rams, Heidegger.
DRY Implementation 10.0 +
Rams Artifact 6.0 ~
Heidegger System 7.6 +
Overall 7.8 +
Violations: 2 high 34 medium 5 low
Self-Audit: The tool validates itself.
02 Visibility
The hermeneutic circle rendered. Four properties, their connections, their gaps. What is concealed becomes visible.
Gaps: .ltd → .io.agency → .ltd
2 connections awaiting.
03 Feedback
Practice informs philosophy. Experiments declare which principles they test; evidence accumulates through execution.
Charles & Ray Eames The best for the most for the least
0 experiments
insufficient
Charles & Ray Eames Recognize and embrace constraints
0 experiments
insufficient
Charles & Ray Eames Take your pleasure seriously
0 experiments
insufficient
Charles & Ray Eames Details are not details
0 experiments
insufficient
Dieter Rams Good design is innovative
0 experiments
insufficient
Dieter Rams Good design makes a product useful
6 experiments
corroborating
Dieter Rams Good design is aesthetic
2 experiments
corroborating
Dieter Rams Good design makes a product understandable
4 experiments
corroborating
Dieter Rams Good design is unobtrusive
9 experiments
corroborating
Applies: Unobtrusive - tools recede to background →Applies: Unobtrusive - tools recede to background →Applies: Unobtrusive - tools recede to background →Applies: Unobtrusive - tools recede to background →Applies: Unobtrusive - tools recede to background →Applies: Unobtrusive - tools recede to background →Applies: Unobtrusive - tools recede to background →Applies: Unobtrusive - tools recede to background →Validates: Unobtrusive - tools recede to background →
Dieter Rams Good design is honest
2 experiments
corroborating
Dieter Rams Good design is long-lasting
2 experiments
corroborating
Dieter Rams Good design is thorough down to the last detail
2 experiments
corroborating
Dieter Rams Good design is environmentally friendly
0 experiments
insufficient
Dieter Rams Good design is as little design as possible
15 experiments
corroborating
Applies: As little as possible - remove until it breaks →Applies: As little as possible - remove until it breaks →Applies: As little as possible - remove until it breaks →Applies: As little as possible - remove until it breaks →Applies: As little as possible - remove until it breaks →Applies: As little as possible - remove until it breaks →Applies: As little as possible - remove until it breaks →Applies: As little as possible - remove until it breaks →Applies: As little as possible - remove until it breaks →Applies: As little as possible - remove until it breaks →Applies: As little as possible - remove until it breaks →Applies: As little as possible - remove until it breaks →Applies: As little as possible - remove until it breaks →Applies: As little as possible - remove until it breaks →Validates: As little as possible - remove until it breaks →
Edward R. Tufte Maximize the data-ink ratio
4 experiments
corroborating
Edward R. Tufte Avoid chartjunk
0 experiments
insufficient
Edward R. Tufte Use small multiples
2 experiments
corroborating
Edward R. Tufte Layer and separate
0 experiments
insufficient
Edward R. Tufte Data graphics should tell a story
0 experiments
insufficient
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe Less is more
2 experiments
corroborating
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe God is in the details
0 experiments
insufficient
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe Structural honesty
0 experiments
insufficient
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe Universal space
0 experiments
insufficient
Martin Heidegger Zuhandenheit (Ready-to-hand)
3 experiments
corroborating
Martin Heidegger Vorhandenheit (Present-at-hand)
1 experiment
insufficient
Martin Heidegger Geworfenheit (Thrownness)
0 experiments
insufficient
Martin Heidegger The Hermeneutic Circle
7 experiments
corroborating
Applies: Understanding parts through whole, whole through parts →Applies: Understanding parts through whole, whole through parts →Applies: Understanding parts through whole, whole through parts →Applies: Understanding parts through whole, whole through parts →Applies: Understanding parts through whole, whole through parts →Applies: Understanding parts through whole, whole through parts →Validates: Understanding parts through whole, whole through parts →
Martin Heidegger Aletheia (Unconcealment)
2 experiments
corroborating
Martin Heidegger Das Ding (The Thing)
0 experiments
insufficient
Martin Heidegger Dwelling (Wohnen)
2 experiments
corroborating
Martin Heidegger Gestell (Enframing)
0 experiments
insufficient
Martin Heidegger Gelassenheit (Releasement)
0 experiments
insufficient
Martin Heidegger Das Man (The They)
0 experiments
insufficient
The Canon The Subtractive Triad
4 experiments
corroborating
The Canon The Hermeneutic Circle
0 experiments
insufficient
The Canon Modes of Being
0 experiments
insufficient
16 principles corroborated by practice.
The Circle
"We understand parts through the whole, and the whole through its parts. Understanding is never complete but always in motion." — Martin Heidegger, Being and Time
This experiment is itself part of the circle—an experiment on .ltd that demonstrates how .ltd connects to .space, .io, and .agency. The tool reveals its own concealment by measuring itself, visualizing itself, and accumulating evidence about itself. Meta-hermeneutic.