The Idea of History

The Idea of History is the best-known work of the great Oxford philosopher, historian, and archaeologist R.G. Collingwood. It was originally published posthumously in 1946, having been mainly reconstructed from Collingwood's manuscripts, many of which are now lost. This important work examines how the idea of history has evolved from the time of Herodotus to the twentieth century, and offers Collingwood's own view of what history is. For this revised edition, Collingwood's most important lectures on the philosophy of history are published here for the first time.

The late R.G. Collingwood was Waynflete Professor of Metaphysical Philosophy at Oxford University.

Jan van der Dussen is Professor of History and Philosophy at the Open University of the Netherlands.