Abstract

This article argues that the reality principle must be accepted as a necessary condition for any adequate historical research. The first part explores the arguments of the hermeneutical realism, in order to rescue some of them and showing their importance for the historical theory. The second part reconstructs a debate between historical theory, literary theory, linguistic turn and hermeneutical realism, aiming to expose the risks of anti-realism for the historical discipline. At the end, it is expected to present a perspective that points out what is the meaning of rescue realist elements that supports a not arbitrary historical research.