ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the existential and ethical dimension of the historical past from two different perspectives. In the first part, the chapter approaches the issue by examining the personal dimension of the historical past from the perspective of the individual subject. This examination elaborates the individual’s perspective by literary illustrations from W. G. Sebald’s Austerlitz. This elaboration is conducted in relation to previous interpretations by Eelco Runia and Hayden White. In the second part, the chapter approaches the issue from a conceptual perspective in order to articulate the ways in which the idea of a historical past connects with the concept of history as self-knowledge. The chapter engages with R. G. Collingwood’s philosophy of history to show that there are significant ethical and existential aspects of the concept of historical past. In conclusion, the chapter argues that, both from the perspective of the individual and conceptually, there is an important existential dimension residing within and not only beyond the historical past.
