ABSTRACT
The historian must tell a meaningful story and the meaning with which he imbues his account is already present in human life. Awareness of meaning characterizes human life in general and provides the unifying framework of individual experiences. This meaning is not constituted by reference to something transcendental but by relations within life. Every moment carries with it some awareness of the past and an anticipation of the future. Only the category of meaning goes beyond mere co-existence or subordination of the parts of life. Meaning is the comprehensive category through which life becomes comprehensible. The category of meaning designates the relation, rooted in life itself, of parts to the whole. Every expression of life has a meaning insofar as it is a sign which expresses something that is part of life. Only in the relation of the meaning of the events of life to the understanding and significance of the whole do connections found in life receive adequate representation.
