New Historicism. Issue 3

Author: Chen Heng / Geng Xiangxin, Editors
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-12-01
Features: This issue primarily selects several articles by Collingwood from his edited collection Essays in the Philosophy of History, and also chooses several research articles from the numerous studies on Collingwood in the Western academic field. Collingwood's The Philosophy of History and The Nature and Purpose of the Philosophy of History are general essays where he views history as an improvisation and, as always, emphasizes the importance of secondary thought. The Theory of Historical Cycles and Oswald Spengler's Theory of Historical Cycles delve into the long-standing theory of historical cycles and the influential German philosopher Spengler, whom Collingwood heavily criticizes. He comprehensively refutes the absolute necessity of historical morphology, but generally considers the historical cycle theory as a perspective-based perception, a function of the limitations of historical knowledge. Most of the research papers are critical. Collingwood's Theory of History is the result of the author's examination of Collingwood's works from the perspectives of subject matter and methodology, reflecting the general understanding of Collingwood in Western academia. The author's original contribution lies in reflecting on the issues. Mr. Collingwood on Philosophical Methodology aims to demand precision, where facts and concepts are intertwined, and the constant use of "Mr." leaves one uncertain of the author's stance. Collingwood: The Influence of His Father and Croce's Influence on Collingwood involve a public debate about the origins of Collingwood's thought—did Croce influence Collingwood? Are Croce and Collingwood in harmony? Collingwood on Reflective Thought is self-explanatory, as reflection is one of the hot topics in Western academia. Derek Dray's critique of the inconsistency of the reflection concept is worth attention. Review of Collingwood's Criticism of Toynbee leaves one feeling that Collingwood's critique has some shortcomings, as Toynbee's principle of naturalism may not be as rigid. Was Collingwood Misunderstood? is a declaration from a passionate defender, representing the trend in Western academia to rethink Collingwood's thought.