Between History and System. Heinrich Rickert’s Concept of Culture

Abstract

The paper reconstructs the concept of culture that emerges from Heinrich Rickert’s neo-Kantianism, uncovering its major historical-problematic, methodological, and philosophical implications. The central theme of the first section is the idea that modern culture is uniquely characterized by “fragmentation”. It also unpacks the programme of Rickert’s philosophy of culture, which pursues the task of reconstructing the lost unity of culture. The second section explains the methodological implications of the problematic relationship between value and reality established in cultural goods and evaluations. Finally, the third section reconstructs the Rickertian system of values, with its peculiar effort to reconcile historicity and value absoluteness. The last part develops a critical discussion of the Rickertian project.