This introductory chapter begins with a discussion of the steady growth of interest in historical development, in particular the historical dimension of philosophy. It then discusses the four different kinds of phenomena that played a significant role in late-18th-century German thought, the influence of Karl Leonhard Reinhold, and some preconditions of the historical turn in philosophy. An overview of the chapters in this volume is presented.
Keywords: Kant, Hegel, Leonhard Reinhold, historical turn, philosophy, post-Kantian