Dilthey had maintained in the Introduction to the Human Sciences that because history had shown pronouncements of truth to be historically conditioned, a critique of historical reason was necessary. He felt that it was imperative first to solve the antimony between man's historical consciousness and his need for certainty — between history and reason. This could hardly be done be devising any new metaphysical system, for such a system would again be historically conditioned; it would be of relative validity only, and would not, as a result, command much respect.