The gold of knowledge – Nicolai Hartmann and historiography of philosophy

Abstract

ABSTRACT Around 1900, historiography of philosophy faced the challenge of opening itself to scientific, social, and cultural history, without giving up what is unique to philosophy: its exclusive claim to integrate systematic philosophy and history of philosophy. This paper focuses on the theoretical reflections of the historian of philosophy Nicolai Hartmann, who gave a coherent response to this problem-situation and integrated influences from the historiography of philosophy of Marburg Neo-Kantianism and the approaches of Wilhelm Dilthey and Wilhelm Windelband. The paper reconstructs the situation in which advanced historiography of philosophy found itself around 1900, presents Hartmann’s approach and demonstrates its continuing relevance to contemporary discussions on the relationship of philosophy to its history.