The Preface to the Translation the Preface to the Translation of N. Hartmann’s Article “Sense-Giving and Sense-Fullfilment”

Abstract

The article by Nikolai Hartmann is devoted to the problem of sense both in its history and its current state. Hartmann addresses the problem of sense in the 30’s, when the Zeitgeist itself contributed to such reflections, and it is no coincidence that at this time various existential interpretations of the sense of human life became popular. In his own turn, Hartmann develops a kind of metaphysics of sense. He reinterprets the constructions of classical metaphysics (starting with Plato) from a new point of view, correlating the category of sense with traditional metaphysical categories, such as ‘idea,’ ‘Nous,’ ‘The One,’ ‘God,’ ‘substance,’ ‘spirit,’ and ‘absolute.’ Furthermore, the German philosopher adds his own considerations and conclusions to the historical review. The article consists of six sections. Section I sets the problem; section II outlines the main features of Ancient (Plato, Aristotle, Stoa, neo-Platonism) and Medieval metaphysics of sense; in section III Hartmann focuses on the modern metaphysics of sense, with an emphasis on German classical philosophy (Kant, Fichte, Schelling and especially Hegel). Section IV examines the problem of sense in Hartmann’s philosophical context (in this regard, Hartmann is interested in Nietzsche and the philosophy of values), while at the same time aiming to strictly distinguish between the concepts of sense, values, and purposes. Section V draws conclusions from the historical review and the subsequent explication of the concepts; further, Hartmann offers his own solution to the problem of sense. Finally, in section VI, the problem of sense is interpreted from the perspective of the philosophy of history.