In recent decades widespread rejection of positivismâs notorious hostility toward the philosophical tradition has led to renewed debate about the real relationship of philosophy to its history. How History Matters to Philosophy takes a fresh look at this debate. Current discussion usually starts with the question of whether philosophyâs past should matter but Scharff argues that the very existence of the debate itself demonstrates that it already does matter. After an introductory review of the recent literature he develops his case in two parts. In Part One he shows how history actually matters for even Platoâs Socrates Descartes and Comte in spite of their apparent promotion of conspicuously ahistorical Platonic Cartesian and Positivistic ideals. In Part Two Scharff argues that the real issue is not whether history matters; rather it is that we already have a history a very distinctive and unavoidable inheritance which paradoxically teaches us that historyâs mattering is merely optional. Through interpretations of Dilthey Nietzsche and Heidegger he describes what thinking in a historically determinate way actually involves and he considers how to avoid the denial of this condition that our own philosophical inheritance still seems to expect of us. In a brief conclusion Scharff explains how this book should be read as part of his own effort to acknowledge this condition rather than deny it. . Language: English