Karl Löwith’s View of History: A Critical Appraisal of Historicism

This brief survey of Professor Karl LOwith's analysis of the modem histori­ cal consciousness is the outgrowth of a year's study at the University of Heidelberg while Professor L6with was still an active member of the faculty. An early version, in the form of a dissertation, was submitted to the History Department of Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, U.S.A. Numerous friends and colleagues have helped me at various stages of this work and I am indebted to them even though I cannot name them all indi­ vidually. However special thanks must be accorded to Professor W. J. Bos­ senbrook of Wayne State University for introducing me to the entire prob­ lem of anti-historicism and to Professor LOwith's work. I am also greatly indebted to Professor John Barlow of Indiana University for his patient assistance with the translations, however the final responsibility for all renditions rests, of course, solely with the author.