Abstract

Rothacker’s concept of humanities is based on the cohesive idea of participation (»Teilhabe«; by perception, in tradition, in community) which is not modified in his works all over the years. His texts offer dimensions of ›characteristic form‹ (»geprägte Form«: J. W. Goethe, »Urworte. Orphisch«), which bind the style of life (»Lebensstil«) of individuals and nations. The structure of Rothacker’s approach allows modifications (for example in adressing national socialistic thought) without the necessity to rearrange the concept itself. Rothacker’s interpretation of ›characteristic form‹ is founded on values concerning worthy cultural developments.