Philosophy and Methodology of Definitions of History

This article suggests a complex unity of definitions of history which should serve for the elucidation of the essence and true adequacy of the science of history to its design. Our general conception of history is based on the works of Father of Armenian’s History Movses Khorenatsi (5th century). The science of history is interpreted following our conception of “hermeneutics of wisdom” developed on the basis of H.-G. Gadamer’s “philosophical hermeneutics” which specificity I have already explicated as “hermeneutics of truth” in my monograph “Hans-Georg Gadamer’s philosophical hermeneutics”. In this article, the conceptual and methodological achievements of both these conceptions: “hermeneutics of truth” and – as its perfected implication – “hermeneutics of wisdom”, important for philosophy of history that is understanding of nature of history are used. In formulating definitions of history the author uses the logical-methodological instrument of the prominent Medieval Armenian philosopher David the Invincible (5th – 6th centuries). The definitions of history suggested in this paper are distributed into three main classes: separately by its subject of study, separately by its fulfillment, and jointly – by its subject of study and fulfillment. The formulated set of definitions of history should serve for a deeper understanding of Movses Khorenatsi’s heritage as well as for adequately revealing the truth of “being-of-history as such”.