The article presents an overview of the hermeneutical approaches, having significant consequences for sociology. The author deals with various definitions of hermeneutics. By offering a brief story of the establishment of hermeneutics as a relatively independent stream in philosophy, she reflects on the causes of a continued rejection of interpretative methods by social sciences. The main part of the overview is devoted to theoretical projects of Jürgen Habermas and Paul Ricoeur, united by the idea of necessary application of hermeneutical methods in sociological research.