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Dilthey

Wilhelm Dilthey (1833–1911) was a German philosopher and historian whose work helped shape the methodology of the human sciences. He argued that social and historical phenomena cannot be fully understood by the methods of the natural sciences, but require a distinct approach based on empathic understanding of actors’ meanings. He introduced the concepts Verstehen (understanding) and Erklären (explanation) as complementary methodological modes, with Verstehen guiding the interpretation of texts, life histories, and cultures.

Dilthey distinguished between Geisteswissenschaften (the human or geistes sciences) and Naturwissenschaften (the natural sciences), advocating that

Dilthey's work influenced later hermeneutic thinkers, including Hans-Georg Gadamer and Paul Ricoeur, and contributed to debates

the
former
rests
on
historical-contextual
interpretation
rather
than
general
causal
laws.
His
hermeneutic
program
aimed
to
reconstruct
the
inner
life
of
historical
agents
and
cultures,
emphasizing
language,
culture,
and
lived
experience
as
the
basis
for
knowledge
of
the
human
world.
His
major
writings
include
Einleitung
in
die
Geisteswissenschaften
(Introduction
to
the
Geisteswissenschaften)
and
Die
Entstehung
der
Geschichte
in
den
Geisteswissenschaften
(The
Formation
of
the
Historical
World
in
the
Geisteswissenschaften),
through
which
he
articulated
the
method
and
scope
of
the
human
sciences.
in
philosophy
of
history,
social
science
methodology,
and
cultural
studies.
His
emphasis
on
interpretation
and
historical
situatedness
remains
a
foundational
reference
in
the
study
of
literature,
history,
sociology,
and
anthropology.