English philosopher and historian influenced by Hegel, Cook Wilson, and Croce. Collingwood explored the implications of idealism for aesthetics and the philosophy of history. Collingwood proposed that historical understanding be achieved through empathetic reconstruction of the thoughts that motivated the actions of historical figures.
Speculum Mentis (1924),
An Essay on Philosophic Method (1933),
Principles of Art (1938),
The Idea of History (1946).
Aaron Ridley, Collingwood (Routledge, 1999);
Giuseppina D'Oro, Collingwood and the Metaphysics of Experience (Routledge, 2002);
Philosophy, History and Civilization: Essays on R. G. Collingwood, ed. by David Boucher (U of Wales, 1996);
William H. Dray, History As Re-Enactment: R. G. Collingwood's Idea of History (Oxford, 1999).