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Philosophy and Methodology of Definitions of History

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Philosophy and Methodology of Definitions of History UDC 1/14:93/94 Romik KOCHARYAN PHILOSOPHY AND METHODOLOGY OF DEFINITIONS OF HISTORY Abstract This article suggests a complex unity of definitions of history which should serve for the elucidation of the essence and true adequacy of the science of history to its design. Our conception of history is based on the works of Father of Armenian‘s History Movses Khorenatsi (5th century). The science of history is interpreted following our conception of ―hermeneutics of wisdom‖ developed on the basis of H.-G. Gad- amer‘s ―philosophical hermeneutics‖ which specificity I have already explicated as ―hermeneutics of truth‖ in my monograph ―Hans-Georg Gadamer‘s philosophical hermeneutics‖. In this article, the concep- tual and methodological achievements of both these conceptions: ―hermeneutics of truth‖ and – as its per- fected implication – ―hermeneutics of wisdom‖, important for philosophy of history that is understanding of nature of history are used. In formulating definitions of history is used the logical-methodological in- strument of the prominent Medieval Armenian philosopher David the Invincible (5th – 6th centuries). The definitions of history are distributed into three main classes: separately by its subject of study, its fulfilment, and jointly – by its subject and fulfilment. The formulated set of definitions of history should serve for a deeper understanding of Movses Khorenatsi‘s heritage as well as for adequately revealing the truth of ―being-of-history as such‖. Keywords: history, philosophy of history, hermeneutical method, understanding, interpretation, definitions by the subject, definitions by the fulfillment. Introduction the doctrine of maieutics. One of the vertices of human thought is the Aristotelian theory of defi- The problem of definition has already been nition, which was universally recognized by considered by the thinkers of ancient Greece, many generations of philosophers, including the who, in particular, were interested in such a fun- doctrine of the essence and types of definitions damental problem as the elements of the uni- developed by the distinguished philosopher of verse, and, accordingly, its definition (see Diels, Medieval Armenia David the Invincible (V-VI 1952; Freeman, 1970). The subject of instructive centuries). discussions of the famous Socratic conversations The objective of this article is to review the were definitions of the concepts under discus- definitions of history and suggest new definitions sion, a detailed account of which in Plato's dia- which in their unity could elucidate the sense and logues served as the basis for extracting from essential aspects of the science of history. The them the Socratic method of cognition of truth - general guiding line of author's conception is the 94 principle that the mode of existence of an object essence of history also among professional histo- should be its adequacy to its design. According- rians. One of the most popular traditional forms ly, the true sense of the history of nations and the of history was an epic narrative glorifying the mankind, in general, is interpreted as the adequa- nation's heroes and kings. ―History is a narration cy of their life, identity, and culture to their de- of the events which have happened among man- sign. kind, including an account of the rise and fall of The fascinating richness of human history nations, as well as of other great changes which has inspired many historians and writers to for- have affected the political and social condition of mulate a multifaceted set of appealing definitions the human race‖, wrote John J. Anderson by the and characteristics of history. Some of them are end of 19th century (Anderson, 1876). brilliant short aphorisms: ―The history of the Some historians like to put emphasis on world is the world`s court of justice‖ (Friedrich separate factors of history like time (Braudel, von Schiller). ―The history of the world is but the 1982), subjectivity of historical research (Carr, biography of great men‖ (Thomas Carlyle). Oth- 1961), the role of human consciousness (Febvre, ers bring to readers‘ attention paradoxical char- 1922), ―disequilibrium‖ and ―dysfunction‖ in acteristics of history: ―Poetry is nearer to vital social relations (Stone, 1996), history as a liter- truth than history” (Plato). ―History is the sci- ary art, serving to transport readers back in time ence of what never happens twice” (Paul Val- (Creighton, 1980), the role of Enlightenment in ery). There are also authors demonstrating the European history (Himmelfarb, 2005). Many moral approach to history: "To remain ignorant modern researchers of the science of history put of things that happened before you were born is emphasis on events having a significant role in to remain a child‖ (Cicero). ―Those who cannot social-political developments (for instance, M. remember the past are condemned to repeat it‖ Weber, M. Bloch, H. J. Muller). The author of (George Santayana). Some writers suggest radi- this article in his general approach follows the cally optimistic or radically pessimistic interpre- hermeneutic school of F. Schleiermacher, W. tations of history: ―What experience and history Dilthey, M. Heidegger, H.-G. Gadamer and P. teach is this – that people and governments nev- Ricoeur (see Schleiermacher, 1998; Dilthey, er have learned anything from history or acted 1996; Heidegger, 1962/1927; Gadamer, 2006/ on the principles deduced from it‖ (Hegel). ―His- 1975; Ricoeur, 1981). tory fades into fable; fact becomes clouded with Why is it necessary and preferable to define doubt and controversy; the inscription moulders history? David the Invincible wrote: ―… if a man from the tablet; the statue falls from the pedestal. wishes to conceive and think of something right- Columns, arches, pyramids, what are they but ly, he must first know the nature of this thing – heaps of sand; and their epitaphs, but characters that is, its definition‖ (David the Invincible, are written in the dust?‖ (Washington Irving). 1983, p. 23). Because the definition is ―a short ―The value of history, then, is that it teaches us statement which reveals the nature of the thing‖ what man has done and thus what man is‖ (R. G. (David the Invincible, 1983, p. 27). Thus any Collingwood). thought that sums up the contemplation over the There are many approaches concerning the true existence of ―history‖ and discloses by short 95 formulation the nature of history is the definition one should take into account the specificity of of ―history‖. religious life-mode and Christian scholarship of So what kind of order of inquiry is possible thinkers in regard to the entire essence of the be- to disclose the nature of history? David the In- ing – ―divine and human realities‖. The true rev- vincible regarding all the existing things, includ- elation of the meanings that disclose the truth of ing also ―philosophy‖, ―history‖ or any other sci- the events of life and culture, can be realized by ence suggested the following succession of ques- hermeneutical methodology – namely in the tions for their study: ―Whether it exist?‖, ―What meaning-horizon of the conception of ―herme- is it?‖, ―What sort of thing is it?‖, ― What pur- neutics of truth‖ according to its destiny and the pose does it exist for?‖ (David the Invincible, very essence. In this regard it is essential to fix, 1983, p. 3). that for the perpetration of the fullness of the One more fundamental philosophical ques- aforesaid intention of the undertaken research it tion has a principle importance for me – ―How is is necessary and preferable by the conception of its existence – the potential and the realization?‖ the true destiny of hermeneutics and all the I mean, how is the mode of existence that is fun- tradition of its historical being and, in particular, damentally inherent to this concrete entity the possibilities of ―the art of interpretation of the (namely, history) and was the existence of that holy fathers‖ (―Sacred Hermeneutics‖) and mo- entity implemented by its calling and the truth of dern philosophical hermeneutics – to understand its own existence or, in this case, was the exist- and interpretively explicate not only the histo- ence of this being implemented untruly? rical-scientific conception of Movses Khorenatsi, All these queries we are going to examine but also the truth and counsel of wisdom of the keeping in mind the fundamental work ―History pure empirical historic content of his scientific of Armenians‖ of Father of Armenian‘s History conception. Movses Khorenatsi. The conceptual and the The exegetics of the medieval holy fathers methodological basis of the present investigation and the modern conceptions of the theoreticians is the “hermeneutics of truth” and based on it of the ―philosophical hermeneutics‖ created by and developed further by an author the concep- mutual complementarity of their essential ideas tion of “hermeneutics of wisdom”. According- the principle possibility to call for life the con- ly, my investigation of the ―History of Armeni- ceptions of ―hermeneutics of truth‖ and ―herme- ans‖ of Moses Khorenatsi is carried on in the neutics of wisdom‖. These conceptions explicate horizon of the observable field of meanings, the truth of understanding and interpretation and opened by the conception of the ―hermeneutics by means of them – the very truth of divine and of wisdom‖ and ―hermeneutics of truth‖. In my human realities, and also the truth of philosophy, monograph by critical consideration is under- theology, human and social sciences, medieval stood and interpreted the meaning and counsel of studies, in particular, and the history itself. In wisdom that reveals the truth of Khorenatsi‘s regard to the above mentioned fundamental historical-scientific conception and according to specificity of the problematic of medieval stud- its implication – the truth of ―being-of-history as ies, this conception of hermeneutics presents in such‖ (Khocharyan, 2016). itself a necessary and preferable openness, a po- Dealing with Medieval Christian sources tency of a developed rational theory of under- 96 standing and interpretation.
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