On the Use of the History of Philosophy for Philosophy

This talk addresses the question of whether the work of historians of philosophy can contribute to contemporary philosophy. I will argue that although doing philosophy and doing the history of philosophy are different projects, the history of philosophy can be important for contemporary philosophy. The most important way is conceptual. First, many philosophical concepts are de facto historical, and understanding the genealogy of philosophical concepts and problems reveals presuppositions in contemporary discussions that might otherwise go unnoticed. Second, insofar as philosophy is a critical discipline in which nothing is taken for granted, the history of philosophy can help us step outside our conceptual framework and provide new starting points for better theories.