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The dialectic of political theory and practice

Gary Browning

pp. 120-143

Abstract

The focus of this chapter is upon Collingwood's final work, The New Leviathan. Analysis of this work highlights the interpretive dilemmas, which are occasioned by Collingwood's texts. Knox reads it as exhibiting the decline of Collingwood's philosophy, whereas other commentators, such as Donagan and Mink consider it to provide a sophisticated analysis of mind.1 A number of its features combine to render it controversial. It emphasizes the historicity of its subject-matter, civilization. It analyzes mind and civilization via an account of the historical development of mind, society, politics and civilization. Its avowedly historical perspective raises questions over whether its standpoint is relativistic.2The New Leviathan is seen by some commentators to endorse the relativism and historicism that they ascribe to his later writings.3 It is also a manifestly practical work, since its theoretical explorations of mind and civilization are self-consciously directed to the purpose of sustaining British wartime commitment. At times it verges on propaganda, so that its theoretical perspective may be distorted.4

Publication details

Published in:

Browning Gary (2004) Rethinking R. G. Collingwood: philosophy, politics and the unity of theory and practice. Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan.

Pages: 120-143

DOI: 10.1057/9780230005754_6

Full citation:

Browning Gary (2004) The dialectic of political theory and practice, In: Rethinking R. G. Collingwood, Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan, 120–143.