R. G. Collingwood (1889–1943)

What makes history tick and what turns history into human progress? These questions have been explicitly asked by philosophers since the Enlightenment, and historian R.G. Collingwood adds his voice to the mix in this classic work. He summarizes how we understand history since its recording began. In each epoch in the Western tradition, he outlines the major players and then provides his critique on their limitations.

Unfortunately, Collingwood’s analysis is, too, limited by his era. He does not account well for non-Western traditions as well as traditions of oppressed peoples (like women and sub-cultures within dominant cultures). In today’s diverse world, such accounts are sorely needed. Despite this major shortcoming, this work is helpful in understanding our place in this world.

Collingwood seems, in particular, to appreciate Immanuel Kant’s perspectives. He returns to them, over and over, to illustrate his points. He speaks of history being a foundation of human self-knowledge. Indeed, I would not be surprised if Collingwood affirmed the statement that history is the queen of the sciences. He sees history not as the accumulation of facts (cut-and-paste history) but as thinking afresh the ideas of the past in a new context. It results in the accumulation of self-knowledge.

Like any good work of philosophy, this work is not for the faint of heart. It took me a while to work through. Nevertheless, it is the most thoughtful work I’ve ever read on the subject of what history consists of. It avoids the common pitfalls that 19th-century philosophers fell into – the over-simplifications of Hegel and Marx. In contrast, Collingwood’s outlook is much more modern and humanistic than them. Almost seventy-five years later, his voice needs to continue to be heard by those who seek to seriously understand history.… (meer)