Abstract

The German word >Selbstverständnis Selbstverständnis< as used in the common language of the second half of the 20th century was a buzzword. This is true also for contemporary German philosophy, although there are tendencies which show that the word might be on its way to become a philosophical concept or term. In the present article, I investigate the development of the philosophical expression ‚Selbstverständnis’ from its beginnings up to this day, an attempt not made so far.