History and rationality. Philosophy of history with regard to the challenges of pluralism and cultural relativity

The major aim of this article is to analyze and discuss the consequences of the historical plurality of rationality forms and concepts for a contemporary philosophy of history. In a first step, we consider the sense in which rationality or irrationality can be attributed to history. Therefore, three different models of philosophy of history with their respective concepts of rationality are outlined. In a second step, we demonstrate that the plurality of forms and concepts of rationality forms an obstacle for historiography especially if the differences are entrenched in divergent world views and forms of life. Nevertheless, it will be argued for the possibility of historical comprehension, of critical capacity with regard to distant cultures, and against a radical cultural relativism. A common basis of the different criteria of rationality, thus the thesis, is given by the pragmatic logic of our symbol systems.