Contemplating the nature of interpretation leads to the certainty that it is a deeply rooted faculty in the human mind, one that humans cling to in their tireless pursuit of elucidating the various meanings hidden in existence and revealed in the interaction between the human self and the world. If the situation calls for a definition of interpretation, as we intend to do in the pages of this book, we will find that the path taken by the various interpretive schools, the ancient, modern, and contemporary of which we will examine here, tends toward investigating the meaning that serves as a mediator between humanity and existence. This book depicts this interpretive path, which has been built, from its inception to the present day, on the relationship between humanity and existence, manifested in multiple and diverse historical forms, of which language remains the most eloquent, articulate, and magnificent.

In this book, we have endeavored to answer the question: What is utility? To this end, we have sought to clarify this concept, both linguistically and technically, as well as to clarify the foundations of utilitarian theory and to observe practical reality as indicated by human experience and its ethical applications.