The article deals with interpretation of a text from a philosophical perspective. The starting point is conception of interpretation as an art; this conception was formulated by hermeneutics in relation to the specific demands of methodology of humanities. Interpretation approaches of the 20th century are characterised by elaborating the basic interpretation theories with respect to philosophical styles and main strains of thought. As it is a theme that touches several research fields, significant pieces of knowledge not only from philosophy, but also from literary science or aesthetic areas are briefly presented in the article.