The Principles of History: And Other Writings in Philosophy of History

Published here for the first time in paperback is much of a final and long-anticipated work on philosophy of history by the renowned Oxford philosopher, historian, and archaeologist R. G. Collingwood (1889-1943). The original text of this uncompleted work was only recently discovered in the archives of Oxford University Press. Also found there were two conclusions written by Collingwood for lectures which were eventually revised and published as The Idea of Nature, but which have relevance to his philosophy of history as well. These pieces are included in this volume, accompanied by further short writings by Collingwood on historical knowledge and inquiry, selected from previously unpublished manuscripts held at the Bodleian Library, Oxford. All these writings, besides containing entirely new ideas, discuss further many of the issues which Collingwood is famous for having raised in The Idea of History and in his Autobiography.A lengthy editorial introduction sets these writings in their context, and discusses philosophical questions to which they give rise. The editors also consider why Collingwood left The Principles of History unfinished at his death, and what significance should be attached to the fact that it contains no reference to one of his best-known ideas: that of historical understanding as re-enactment. This volume will be a significant publication not just in Collingwood studies but in philosophy of history generally.

Table of Contents:
I. The Principles of History Introduction to Book I 1: Evidence 2: Action 3: Nature and Action 4: The Past History and Philosophy II. Essays and Notes on Philosophy of History 1933-1939 Notes towards a Metaphysic History as the Understanding of the Present Inaugural; Rough Notes Reality as History Can Historians be Impartial? Notes on the History of Histiography and Philosophy of History Notes on Histiography Conclusions to Lectures on Nature and Mind Bibliography of Works Cited General Index References to Collingwood's Writings

About the Author :
R. G. Collingwood was Waynflete Professor of Metaphysical Philosophy in the University of Oxford from 1935 to 1941. W. H. Dray is Emeritus Professor of Philosophy at the University of Ottawa; he has held visiting apptoinments at Toronto, Harvard, Stanford, and Duke Universities, among others. W. J. van der Dussen is Professor of Humanities at the Open University of the Netherlands

Review :
`long and quite masterly Introduction' Michael Bentley, EHR Vol. 116 `an important venture' Michael Bentley, EHR Vol. 116 `The cumulative effect of this labour of love, indeed, is to confound Knox's prejudice that the later years of Collingwood's writing merit suppression and to round off the project of bringing the entire gamut of Collingwood's work out of the archives and into the public domain. The result will surely be a continuing reappraisal of the only British philosopher of history whose work is still read by historians.' Michael Bentley, EHR