Understand The Universal Validity Of Reconciliation Between The Particularity And History

Wilhelm Dilthey is an important figure in the turning of Modern Western philosophy, and is also one of the most representative figures of Western Hermeneutic tradition. Dilthey committed himself to building human sciences as ones standing next to Natural Sciences, which in his view have different method and purpose from natural sciences. To Dilthey, human sciences are to understand the human through the interpretation, and the possibility of understanding is built on the descriptive psychology. At the same time, he adhered to a analyze a person from a historical perspective. Then how to reconcile the particularity of history and the universal validity of understanding? How to balance the angle of psychology and the historical point of view? This article will attempt to answer this question.The paper is structured as follows:Firstly, after a brief introduction to current studying situation of Dilthey, there will be an explanation for the origins of the above problems and the answers of Kant, the school of historicism and Schleiermacher to the question.Secondly, we will give the framework of Dilthey’s solution to this problem. This framework is based on experience, understanding and expression. Experience is one of the most important concepts in Dilthey’s descriptive psychology. Dilthey thought that this concept was the foundation of the solutions to this problem. At the same time, this concept will play an important role in the highest form of understanding. So we will make a detailed introduction to this concept.Thirdly, we will analyze three specific forms of understanding. The analysis will be accompanied by examples to make the forms and the extent of understanding clearer.Finally, we will explain the relations between Dilthey and other schools of thought, including the representative of Positivism-Mill, another important figure of Western philosophy桯usserl and Gadamer.