Was ist ein <i>philosophischer</i> Kommentar?

Abstract The question is what a commentary is in a general, non-text-genre-specific sense, and how much attention this question should claim for editing. To address this question, a sketch of a history of the practice of commentary and an analysis of the functions of commentary are outlined. Finally, theses concerning the characteristics of commentary in general and the specifics of a commentary on philosophical texts are discussed.