Rüsen’s Response to the Crisis of Historicism

Although Rüsen only discusses the crisis of historicism explicitly in his work occasionally, his general perspective on historical knowledge can be interpreted as a response to the crisis. Different responses to the crisis of historicism correspond to different interpretations of its main problems. In order to specify Rüsen’s response, a number of aspects of his perspective are pointed out as solutions to such problems. Indirectly, the analysis discloses problems that any plausible attempt to come to terms with the crisis of historicism ought to handle. By identifying differences to other contemporary responses to the crisis of historicism, the continuing relevance of Rüsen’s approach is demonstrated