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The paper edition of the Anthropology of History Yearbook is the definitive version

2013, No. 1 (4), On Representation

Maciej Sawicki
Understanding (Verstehen) and Representation (Darstellung ) in Droysen’s Historik

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Keywords: historical question, methodology, understanding, representation, Droysen

Abstract:
The purpose of this article is to consider Droysen’s notions of understanding (Verstehen) and representation (Darstellung) in historical reflection. The main topic is the moral motive of the historical question whose force seems to encompass both notions, therefore it is presented as the appropriate centre of historical research. The starting point of my considerations is the reconstruction of understanding and representation notions, where I describe how these notions are introduced into the historical research, how they relate to each other, and how they derive their justification by historical question. Then , I show how some critical aspects become a challenge for these two notions, because they reveal their theoretical and practical limitations. Finally , I try to consider whether these concepts are topical for contemporary historical thinking measured with a thought question concerned with the identity of the historian.

About Author:
SAWICKI MACIEJ - PhD student, Department of History, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan.
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