ABSTRACT
The theoretical problems associated with coherently mixing history and philosophy are addressed in Hans-Georg Gadamer's concept of effective-historical consciousness. This alliance of history and philosophy in Gadamer's hermeneutics calls for the elevation of history to ontology. Gadamer seems quite dependent on the Hegelian premise of the self-mediating and self-activating reality of historical movement. On Gadamer's terms this Hegelian premise becomes the acknowledgment of the ontological status of tradition which will support his Heideggerian belief that understanding is not simply a methodological concern, but in fact exhibits an ontological structure. Hegel was clearly not preoccupied with the concept of human historicity as Wilhelm Dilthey and Martin Heidegger were, but the aufgehobenes structure of his historical logic signifies the reciprocity of becoming and meaning, though it is in the face of a cosmic culmination to history in contrast to the individuated sense of completion in true life philosophy.
