Perhaps no philosopher has so fully explored the nature and conditions of historical understanding as Wilhelm Dilthey. His work, conceived overall as a Critique of Historical Reason and developed through his well-known theory of the human studies, provides concepts and methods still fruitful for those concerned with analyzing the human condition. Despite the increasing recognition of Dilthey's contributions, relati vely few of his writings have as yet appeared in English translation. It is therefore both timely and useful to have (...) available here two works drawn from different phases in the development of his philosophy. The "Ideas Concerning a Descriptive and Analytic Psychology" (1894), now translated into English for the first time, sets forth Dilthey's programma tic and methodological viewpoints through a descriptive psychology, while "The Understanding of Other Persons and Their Expressions of Life" (ca. 1910) is representative of his later hermeneutic approach to historical understanding. DESCRIPTIVE PSYCHOLOGY AND THE HUMAN STUDIES Dilthey presented the first mature statement of his theory of the human studies in volume one of his Einleitung in die Geisteswissenschaften (Introduction to the Human Studies), published in 1883. He argued there that for the proper study of man and history we must eschew the metaphysical speculation of the absolute idealists while at the same time avoiding the scientistic reduction of positivism. (shrink)

This book explores the intellectual encounter of India and the West from pre-Alexandrian antiquity until the present. It examines India’s role in European philosophical thought, as well as the reception of European philosophy in Indian thought. Halbfass also considers the tension in India between a traditional and modern understanding of itself. Halbfass covers a wide variety of epochs and “cultures” in this study without oversimplification and without distracting shifts of tone. The volume’s methodological unity is reflected in Halbfass’ reliance on (...) the German hermeneutical tradition and his root characterization of the encounter between Indian and the West as dynamic. It is a contribution rooted in the interpretive tradition typified by the work of Heidegger, Gadamer, and Habermas. This edition is much more than a mere translation. Halbfass has not only translated, but has also revised, updated, and added much new material. (shrink)

Dilthey is a figure of real importance in European philosophy and social theory. He exerted a significant influence on Husserl, Heidegger and Weber (among others) through his work on the nature of philosophy and the methodology and epistemology of human and social studies. He was also a distinguished and original historian of ideas and, indeed, many of his philosophical interests arose from the insights and practical difficulties he encountered as a historian. He produced a monumental biography of Schleiermacher, and a (...) series of shorter, but no less striking studies of Hegel, Dickens, Shakespeare, Schiller and many others. (shrink)

This book is a pioneering effort to elaborate a general theory of the human sciences, especially history, and to distinguish these sciences radically from the ...

This book examines, above all, the relationship between reason and Vedic revelation, and the philosophical responses to the idea of the Veda. It deals with such topics as dharma, karma and rebirth, the role of man in the universe, the motivation and justification of human actions, the relationship between ritual norms and universal ethics, and reflections on the goals and sources of human knowledge. Halbfass presents previously unknown materials concerning the history of sectarian movements, including the notorious "Thags" (thaka), and (...) relations between Indian and Iranian thought. The approach is partly philosophical and partly historical and philological; to a certain extent, it is also comparative. The author explores indigenous Indian reflections on the sources, the structure and the meaning of the Hindu tradition, and traditional philosophical responses to social and historical realities. He does not deal with social and historical realities per se; rather, basing his work on the premise that to understand these realities the reflections and constructions of traditional Indian theorists are no less significant than the observations and paradigms of modern Western historians and social scientists, he explores the self-understanding of such leading thinkers as Sankara, Kumarila, Bhartrhari and Udayana. (shrink)

Im Zentrum des vielschichtigen, allen Aspekten der Geistesgeschichte zugewandten Diltheyschen Denkens stehen die konsequente Besinnung auf die Geschichtlichkeit des Menschen und der Aufweis der erkenntnistheoretischen Eigenständigkeit der Geisteswissenschaften. Diese Abhandlung von 1907 gibt eine konzentrierte Einführung in die Grundzüge geisteswissenaftlich orientierten Philosophierens und begründet die Bedeutung der geistesgeschichtlichen Erschließung der philosophischen Tradition.

Tillich develops a non-intentional understanding of faith in his essay “The Courage to Be”. Just as the “ontological fear” belongs to the human being so also the act of faith which Tillich reinterprets with the concept of courage. Believing does not mean believing in God, but being able to live from the power of unconditional trust. This article makes it clear that for Tillich faith, understood as unconditional trust, is just as much a part of being human as the “ontological (...) fear” that alone the act of faith can cope with. Finally, the significance of this understanding of faith for preaching and pastoral care which Tillich presented in his “Religious Speeches” and with which he gave important impulses to the church’s praxis is shown conclusively. (shrink)

English summary: Der Band legt erstmals Diltheys groae, wirkungsreiche Berliner Vorlesung zur allgemeinen Geschichte der Philosophie vor, die er uber einen Zeitraum von zwanzig Jahren (zwischen dem Sommersemester 1885 und dem Wintersemester 1905/06) gehalten hat. Auaerdem wird der Biographisch-literarische Grundria wieder zuganglich gemacht, der fur die Horer der Vorlesung gedruckt wurde und in sechs - jeweils aktualisierten - Auflagen erschienen ist.Mit Band XXIII kommt die Edition von Diltheys Vorlesungen im Rahmen der Ausgabe seiner Gesammelten Schriften zu ihrem Abschlua. Der Band (...) stutzt sich unter anderem auf die beiden groaen Vorlesungsnachschriften von Eduard Spranger (Wintersemester 1900/01) und Herman Nohl (Wintersemester 1902/03).Dilthey entwirft die Geschichte der Philosophie aus universalhistorischer Perspektive und behandelt die Geschichte des menschlichen Denkens von den religios-philosophischen Konzeptionen der Volker des Ostens bis zur westeuropaischen Philosophie des spaten 19. Jahrhunderts. Dabei verfolgt er nicht rein doxographische Interessen, sondern versteht Philosophiegeschichte auch als Teil der philosophischen Grundlegung. German description: Der Band legt erstmals Diltheys groae, wirkungsreiche Berliner Vorlesung zur allgemeinen Geschichte der Philosophie vor, die er uber einen Zeitraum von zwanzig Jahren (zwischen dem Sommersemester 1885 und dem Wintersemester 1905/06) gehalten hat. Auaerdem wird der Biographisch-literarische Grundria wieder zuganglich gemacht, der fur die Horer der Vorlesung gedruckt wurde und in sechs - jeweils aktualisierten - Auflagen erschienen ist.Mit Band XXIII kommt die Edition von Diltheys Vorlesungen im Rahmen der Ausgabe seiner Gesammelten Schriften zu ihrem Abschlua. Der Band stutzt sich unter anderem auf die beiden groaen Vorlesungsnachschriften von Eduard Spranger (Wintersemester 1900/01) und Herman Nohl (Wintersemester 1902/03).Dilthey entwirft die Geschichte der Philosophie aus universalhistorischer Perspektive und behandelt die Geschichte des menschlichen Denkens von den religios-philosophischen Konzeptionen der Volker des Ostens bis zur westeuropaischen Philosophie des spaten 19. Jahrhunderts. Dabei verfolgt er nicht rein doxographische Interessen, sondern versteht Philosophiegeschichte auch als Teil der philosophischen Grundlegung. (shrink)

La imaginación del poeta (1887)--Acerca del origen y legitimidad de nuestra creencia en la realidad del mundo exterior (1890)--Experiencia y plensamiento (1892)--Ideas acerca de una psicologia descriptiva y analítica (1894)--Sobre psicología comparada (1895-96)--Apéndices.--Suplemento.

In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:Journal of the History of Philosophy 42.2 (2004) 220-221 [Access article in PDF] Clyde Lee Miller. Reading Cusanus: Metaphor and Dialectic in a Conjectural Universe. Washington, D.C.: Catholic University of America Press, 2003. Pp. viii + 276. Cloth, $64.95. In an age where the idea of postmodernity gains more and more ground, the period of postmodern thinking has turned into a major challenge to the human mind. Whereas the (...) project of modernity revokes itself through the contradictions it has generated, the need to find new perspectives makes us wonder what happened in the 15th century when the Renaissance paved the way to modernity and still contained seeds of alternative developments which for one reason or another did not get a chance to germinate. This is an invitation to concentrate on the work of Nicholas of Cusa (1401-1464) as one of the major Renaissance thinkers.Miller's book is an attempt to promote the understanding of Cusanus by a close reading of six of the major works of this author. In reading these works he focuses on Cusan thought both as this thought presents itself in these works, and as it appears against the background of traditional philosophy, especially when seen in the light of the Neoplatonic tradition.The works in question are the books On Learned Ignorance (De docta ignorantia) and On Conjectures (De coniecturis), aptly presented under the title: "Envisiong the Whole," and "Conjecturing Oneness and Otherness" respectively. The remaining four works concern the The Layman: About Mind (Idiota de mente) in which Cusanus develops his understanding of the mind and of intellectual authenticity; The Vision of God (De visione Dei), a treatise on mystical theology and an invitation to enter the divine mystery through a combination of prayer and reflection; On the Not Other (De non aliud), a highly speculative work on divine immanence and transcendence; and The Hunt for Wisdom (De venatione sapientiae) in which Cusanus gives an account of his philosophy by connecting it with the metaphor of a hunt in ten different fields. [End Page 220]Miller begins his book with an Introduction in which he outlines his approach to Cusanus, taking the cue from Plato's image of the divided line with its emphasis on the dialectical distinction between noesis (intellect) and dianoia (reason), and from the dialogue On the Hidden God (De Deo abscondito), a brief discussion between a Heathen and a Christian in which Cusanus connects the theme of learned ignorance with the act of adoration. The distinction between reason and intellect is important because the work of Cusanus is a continuous effort to cope with the meaning of distinctions and their impact on our ways of thinking. The reference to the dialogue is significant because this text clearly indicates that the quest for God is the central issue in the thought of Cusanus, and that the notion of ignorance is actually connected with the theoretical and practical meaning of God.In his discussion of the six works Miller follows the text of Cusanus which he presents in the form of argumentative summaries and complementary reflections. His presentation is lucid and to the point. In his reflections on the text and context of Cusan thought he gives valuable insights into the historical position of Cusanus and the manner in which Nicholas appropriated and transformed traditional ways of thinking. At the same time Miller keeps track of the reception of Cusanus by contemporary scholarship and the various interpretations it has to offer.The book ends with a "reprise" of the previous chapters which provides "an overall perspective on Nicholas' thought and its main themes and proposals" (241). The central elements of this perspective are "the metaphysics of the Infinite and the finite" (242) and the doctrine of perspectival relations as it has been developed in De coniecturis. What connects them with one another finds expression in the distinction (and transition) between explanatory and exploratory metaphors (252); that is, between metaphors such as "image-exemplar" and "unfolding-enfolding," which provide explanatory structures for the interpretation of reality, and metaphors such... (shrink)

Hegels Identitätsthese von der Substanz als Subjekt liegt die selbstbezügliche Konzeption der Identität zugrunde, nämlich die Gleichheit mit sich selbst. Sie unterscheidet sich von allen traditionellen, nicht-selbstreflexiven Begriffen der Identitätsvarianten, etwa im Ausgang von Leibniz, Hume oder Frege , wie auch Quine. Daß die Substanz in ihrem Begriff von sich zirkulär, selbstbezüglich und a priori identisch mit sich ist, ist die Basis allen Denkens und Sprechens über das Seiende. Doch diese begriffliche Sichselbstgleichheit in der Substanz ist zugleich – dialektisch – (...) eine Ungleichheit all ihrer substantiellen Qualität mit sich, sie ist deren Selbstauflösung und Werden. Darin gehört das Andere, Negative intern zur begrifflichen Bestimmung der Substanz selber, und das Wahre in Erfahrung und Wissenschaft wird zu einem Prozeß der Abfolge von gegensätzlichen, erscheinenden Gestalten des Bewußtseins. (shrink)

Der Untersuchung geht es um einen Systemvergleich zwischen Kant und Fichte anhand zentraler Lehrstucke ihrer theoretischen Philosophie. Die Philosophien Kants und Fichtes werden daruber hinaus gegenuber Rousseau, Jacobi, Schiller, Schelling und Hegel systematisch abgegrenzt.