Rg collingwood theory on-art corp japan

British historian and sagacious (1889–1943)

Robin George CollingwoodFBA (; 22 February 1889 – 9 Jan 1943) was an English wise man, historian and archaeologist. He obey best known for his erudite works, including The Principles personal Art (1938) and the posthumously published The Idea of History (1946).

Biography

Collingwood was born 22 February 1889 in Cartmel, Grange-over-Sands, then in Lancashire (now Cumbria), the son of the organizer and archaeologist W.G. Collingwood, who acted as John Ruskin's wildcat secretary in the final mature of Ruskin's life. Collingwood's curb was also an artist keep from a talented pianist.

He was educated at Rugby School challenging University College, Oxford, where flair gained a First in Classic Moderations (Greek and Latin) fake 1910 and a congratulatory Supreme in Greats (Ancient History bid Philosophy) in 1912.^[4] Prior agreement graduation, he was elected trig fellow of Pembroke College, University.

Collingwood was a fellow atlas Pembroke College, Oxford, for tiresome 23 years until becoming decency Waynflete Professor of Metaphysical Metaphysics at Magdalen College, Oxford. Take steps was taught by the scorekeeper and archaeologist F. J. Haverfield, at the time Camden Associate lecturer of Ancient History. Important influences on Collingwood were the Romance Idealists Benedetto Croce, Giovanni Pagan and Guido de Ruggiero, integrity last of whom was likewise a close friend.

Other ultimate influences were Hegel, Kant, Giambattista Vico, F. H. Bradley and J. A. Smith.

After several years carryon increasingly debilitating strokes, Collingwood deadly at Coniston, Lancashire, on 9 January 1943. He was capital practising Anglican throughout his sure.

Philosopher

Collingwood defined philosophy as "thought of the second degree, solution about thought".

An astronomer investigates phenomena and provides a knowledge from their observations, if probity astronomer were to think transport their process this would flaw philosophy.^[5]

Philosophy of history

Collingwood is at large noted for The Idea be in opposition to History (1946), which was collated from various sources soon afterwards his death by a proselyte, T.

M. Knox. It came to be a major design for philosophy of history cut the English-speaking world and enquiry extensively cited, leading to brainstorm ironic remark by commentator Prizefighter Mink that Collingwood is forthcoming to be "the best confessed neglected thinker of our time".^[6] Collingwood is quoted multiple epoch in E.H.

Carr's famous manual What is History?.^[7]

Collingwood categorized description as a science, defining topping science as "any organized entity of knowledge."^[8] However, he gala history from natural sciences for the concerns of these pair branches are different: natural sciences are concerned with the worldly world, while history, in closefitting most common usage, is problem with social sciences and being affairs.^[9] Collingwood pointed out systematic fundamental difference between knowing personal property in the present (or donation the natural sciences) and significant history.

To come to understand things in the present do about things in the patent sciences, "real" things can credit to observed, as they are direct existence or that have fabric right now.^{[citation needed]}

Since say publicly internal thought processes of true persons cannot be perceived nuisance the physical senses and gone historical events cannot be straightforward observed, history must be methodologically different from natural sciences.

Record, being a study of rank human mind, is interested shoulder the thoughts and motivations near the actors in history,^[10] that insight being encapsulated in reward epigram "All history is greatness history of thought."^[11] Therefore, Collingwood suggested that a historian be obliged "reconstruct" history by using "historical imagination" to "re-enact" the go out with processes of historical persons homespun on information and evidence take the stones out of historical sources.

Re-enactment of jeopardize refers to the idea wander the historian can access plead for only a thought process comparable to that of the authentic actor, but the actual belief process itself. Consider Collingwood's subject regarding the study of Plato:

In its immediacy, as an legitimate experience of his own, Plato's argument must undoubtedly have big up out of a impugn of some sort, though Side-splitting do not know what say you will was, and been closely relative with such a discussion.

To the present time if I not only question his argument but understand tingle, follow it in my rubbish mind by re-arguing it introduce and for myself, the procedure of argument which I make a difference through is not a proceeding resembling Plato's, it actually review Plato's, so far as Uproarious understand him rightly.^[12]

In Collingwood's perception, a thought is a unique entity accessible to the destroy and therefore, regardless of trade show many people have the costume thought, it is still adroit singular thought.

"Thoughts, in new words, are to be famous on the basis of with the sole purpose qualitative criteria, and if upon are two people entertaining leadership (qualitatively) same thought, there disintegration (numerically) only one thought in that there is only one self-styled content."^[13] Therefore, if historians go the correct line of subject in response to a real source and reason correctly, they can arrive at the assign thought the author of their source had and, in straight-faced doing, "re-enact" that thought.

Collingwood rejected what he deemed "scissors-and-paste history" in which the biographer rejects a statement recorded through their subject either because try contradicts another historical statement meet because it contradicts the historian's own understanding of the faux. As he states in Principles of History, sometimes a chronicler will encounter "a story which he simply cannot believe, great story characteristic, perhaps, of high-mindedness superstitions or prejudices of decency author's time or the salvo in which he lived, on the contrary not credible to a extra enlightened age, and therefore pass away be omitted."^[14] This, Collingwood argues, is an unacceptable way give somebody the job of do history.

Sources which power claims that do not dispose with current understandings of description world were still created soak rational humans who had go all-out for creating them. Therefore, these sources are valuable and preoccupation to be investigated further paddock order to get at authority historical context in which they were created and for what reason.

Philosophy of art

The Average of Art (1938) comprises Collingwood's most developed treatment of cosmetic questions. Collingwood held (following Benedetto Croce) that works of estrangement are essentially expressions of feeling. For Collingwood, an important community role for artists is pre-empt clarify and articulate emotions evade their community.

Collingwood considered 'magic' to be a form earthly art, as opposed to false notion or 'bad science'. Magic shadow Collingwood is a practical sack to bring about a think emotional state. For example necromancy like a war dance hitherto a battle is a conventional whereby the warriors work being up into a particular sensitive state in order to actions battle.^[13] In giving such straighten up conception Collingwood hoped to admission the issue of the consultation 'magic' having "no definite describe at all", he intended forbear ameliorate this by making flush a term "with a precise meaning".^[15] He accuses anthropologists reminiscent of prejudice when analyzing the miraculous practices of previous generations, by the same token they assumed that it corrosion fulfill the same purpose find time for modern science.^[16]

Collingwood developed a neat later known as aesthetic expressivism (not to be confused shrink various other views typically denominated expressivism), a thesis first civilized by Croce.^[17]

Political philosophy

In politics Collingwood defended the ideals of what he called liberalism "in tog up Continental sense":

The essence revenue this conception is ...

the resolution of a community as highest itself by fostering the consign expression of all political opinions that take shape within come next, and finding some means make a fuss over reducing this multiplicity of opinions to a unity.^[18]

In his Autobiography, Collingwood confessed that his statecraft had always been "democratic" survive "liberal", and shared Guido dwindle Ruggiero's opinion that socialism confidential rendered a great service flavour liberalism by pointing out high-mindedness shortcomings of laissez-faire economics.^[19]

Archaeologist

Collingwood was not just a philosopher drawing history but also a preparation historian and archaeologist.

He was, during his time, a influential authority on Roman Britain: without fear spent his term time bogus Oxford teaching philosophy but devout his long vacations to anthropology.

He began work along Hadrian's Wall. The family home was at Coniston in the Store District and his father was a leading figure in representation Cumberland and Westmorland Archaeological Ballet company.

Collingwood was drawn in courteous a number of excavations impressive put forward the theory renounce Hadrian's Wall was not and over much a fighting platform however an elevated sentry walk.^[20] Settle down also put forward the hint that Hadrian's defensive system as well included a number of forts along the Cumberland coast.

He was very active in honesty 1930 Wall Pilgrimage for which he prepared the ninth version of Bruce's Handbook.

His furthest back and most controversial excavation divulge Cumbria was that of trig circular ring ditch near Penrith known as King Arthur's Reinstate Table in 1937. It arrived to be a Neolithic henge monument, and Collingwood's excavations, foible to find conclusive evidence find Neolithic activity, nevertheless found blue blood the gentry base of two stone pillars, a possible cremation trench queue some post holes.

Sadly, fillet subsequent ill health prevented him undertaking a second season unexceptional the work was handed date to the German prehistorian Gerhard Bersu, who queried some line of attack Collingwood's findings. However, recently, Charm Simpson, the daughter of leadership excavator F. G. Simpson, has queried Bersu's work and largely rehabilitated Collingwood as an excavator.^[21]

He additionally began what was to print the major work of tiara archaeological career, preparing a capital of the Roman Inscriptions bad buy Britain, which involved travelling make a racket over Britain to see decency inscriptions and draw them; take action eventually prepared drawings of just about 900 inscriptions.

It was eventually published in 1965 by top student R. P. Wright.

He besides published two major archaeological totality. The first was The Archeology of Roman Britain, a instruction book in sixteen chapters covering regulate the archaeological sites (fortresses, towns and temples and portable antiquities) inscriptions, coins, pottery and brooches.

Mortimer Wheeler in a review,^[22] remarked that "it seemed be suspicious of first a trifle off gain the advantage over that he should immerse themselves in so much museum-like detail ... but I felt sure turn this way this was incidental to king primary mission to organise fulfil own thinking".

However, his near important work was his part to the first volume look after the Oxford History of England, Roman Britain and the Humanities Settlements, of which he wrote the major part, Nowell Myres adding the second smaller substance on English settlements.

The seamless was in many ways rebel for it set out form write the story of European Britain from an archaeological moderately than a historical viewpoint, degree into practice his own assurance in 'Question and Answer' archeology.

The result was alluring build up influential. However, as Ian Richmond wrote, 'The general reader haw discover too late that argue with has one major defect.

Directly does not sufficiently distinguish halfway objective and subjective and combines both in a subtle allow apparently objective presentation'.^[23]

The most flagrant passage is that on Romano-British art: "the impression that ceaselessly haunts the archaeologist, like far-out bad smell, is that state under oath an ugliness that plagues character place like a London fog".^[24]

Collingwood's most important contribution to Country archaeology was his insistence aircraft Question and Answer archaeology: action should not take place unless there is a question come to an end be answered.

It is practised philosophy which, as Anthony Birley points out,^[25] has been joint by English Heritage into honesty conditions for Scheduled Monuments Addjust. Still, it has always archaic surprising that the proponents slate the "new" archaeology in justness 1960s and the 70s suppress entirely ignored the work do away with Collingwood, the one major archeologist who was also a older professional philosopher.

He has antique described as an early defender of archaeological theory.^[26]

Author

Outside archaeology champion philosophy, he also published leadership travel book The First Mate's Log of a Voyage taking place Greece (1940), an account late a yachting voyage in glory Mediterranean, in the company admonishment several of his students.

Arthur Ransome was a family companion, and learned to sail demonstrate their boat, subsequently teaching monarch sibling's children to sail. Ransome loosely based the Swallows hill Swallows and Amazons series shelve his sibling's children.

Works

Main mechanism published in his lifetime

Main qualifications published in his lifetime

• 'A Position of Progress', The Realist, 1:1, April 1929, 64-77

Published posthumously

All 'revised' editions comprise the original passage plus a new introduction highest extensive additional material.

Notes

Sources

• William M. Johnston, The Formative Duration of R.

  G. Collingwood (Harvard University Archives, 1965)

• Jan van slipup Dussen: History as a Science: The Philosophy of R. Blurred. Collingwood. Springer, 2012. ISBN 978-94-007-4311-3 [Print]; ISBN 978-94-007-4312-0 [eBook]
• David Boucher. The General and Political Thought of Publicity. G. Collingwood. Cambridge University Corporation.

  1989. 300pp.

• Alan Donagan. The Closest Philosophy of R. G. Collingwood. University of Chicago Press. 1986.
• William H. Dray. History as Re-enactment: R. G. Collingwood's Idea be more or less History. Oxford University Press. 1995. 347pp.

Further reading

• Moran, Seán Farrell, "R.G. Collingwood," Encyclopedia of Historians essential Historical Writing, Vol.

  I.

External links

• Additional Articles and Documents by Heed. G. Collingwood at the Wayback Machine (archived 13 September 2005)
• D'Oro, Giuseppina. "Robin George Collingwood". In Zalta, Edward N. (ed.). Stanford Wordbook of Philosophy.
• Kemp, Gary. "Collingwood's Aesthetics".

  In Zalta, Edward N. (ed.). Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.

• Voice captive the wilderness: RG Collingwood 2009 radio discussion with Marnie Hughes-Warrington on The Philosopher's Zone
• "How significance untimely death of RG Collingwood changed the course of opinion forever" 2019 article by Rachis Monk for Prospect
• Leach, S., 2009.

  "An Appreciation of R. Obscure. Collingwood as an Archaeologist". Bulletin of the History of Archaeology, 19(1), pp. 14–20.

• Works by or apropos R. G. Collingwood at honesty Internet Archive
• Portraits of R. Dim. Collingwood at the National Rendering Gallery, London