
An Essay on Philosophical Method
Edited by James Connelly and Giuseppina D'Oro
R. G. Collingwood(Author)
Oxford University Press
Published on 5. June 2008
Book
Paperback/Softback
494 pages
978-0-19-954493-6 (ISBN)
Description
An Essay on Philosophical Method contains the most sustained discussion in the twentieth century of the subject matter and method of philosophy and an unparalleled explanation of why philosophy has a distinctive domain of enquiry that differs from that of the sciences of nature. This new edition of the Essay focuses on Collingwood's contribution to metaphilosophy and locates his argument for the autonomy of philosophy against the twentieth century trend to naturalize its subject matter. Collingwood argues that the distinctions which philosophers make, for example, between the concepts of duty and utility in moral philosophy, or between the concepts of mind and body in the philosophy of mind, are not empirical taxonomies that cut nature at the joints but semantic distinctions to which there may correspond no empirical classes. This identification of philosophical distinctions with semantic distinctions provides the basis for an argument against the naturalization of the subject matter of philosophy for it entails that not all concepts are empirical concepts and not all classifications are empirical classifications. Collingwood's explanation of why philosophy has a distinctive subject matter thus constitutes a clear challenge to the project of radical empiricism.
Whilst not losing sight of its historical context, the introduction to this new edition seeks to locate Collingwood's account of philosophical method against the background of contemporary concerns about the fate of philosophy in the age of science. This volume also contains a substantial amount of previously unpublished material: 'The Metaphysics of F. H. Bradley', 'Method and Metaphysics', and Collingwood's fascinating correspondence with Gilbert Ryle. The latter will prove to be a mine of information for anyone interested in the origins of analytic philosophy.
Whilst not losing sight of its historical context, the introduction to this new edition seeks to locate Collingwood's account of philosophical method against the background of contemporary concerns about the fate of philosophy in the age of science. This volume also contains a substantial amount of previously unpublished material: 'The Metaphysics of F. H. Bradley', 'Method and Metaphysics', and Collingwood's fascinating correspondence with Gilbert Ryle. The latter will prove to be a mine of information for anyone interested in the origins of analytic philosophy.
Reviews / Votes
Review from previous edition This extremely handsome and well-produced new edition of the Essay on Philosophical Method is a welcome and very worthy addition to the series of books of Collingwood's writings currently being published by Oxford University Press.' * Rex Martin, Collingwood and British Idealism Studies * ...often considered to be Collingwood's best book both in terms of content and style...the publication of this new edition of Collingwood's Essay is indisputably good news. The editors, James Connelly and Guiseppina D'Oro, have done a meticulous job in their selection of a number of Collingwood's previously unpublished manuscripts for inclusion alongside the Essay itself... For historians of twentieth-century philosophy wanting to understand the origins of analytical philsophy more fully this new edition should prove invaluable. * Peter Johnson, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews *More details
Edition
Revised edition
Language
English
Place of publication
Oxford
United Kingdom
Target group
College/higher education
Edition type
Revised edition
Dimensions
Height: 216 mm
Width: 140 mm
Thickness: 29 mm
Weight
691 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-19-954493-6 (9780199544936)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

R. G. Collingwood | James Connelly | Giuseppina D'Oro
An Essay on Philosophical Method
E-Book
05/2005
OUP eBook
€53.99
Available for download

R. G. Collingwood | James Connelly | Giuseppina D'Oro
An Essay on Philosophical Method
Edited by James Connelly, School of Human Sciences and Communication, Southampton Institute and Giuseppina D'Oro, Department of Philosophy, Keele University
Book
05/2005
Oxford University Press
€110.40
Shipment within 15-20 days
Persons
James Connelly is Professor of Political Thought at Southampton Solent University
Giuseppina D'Oro is Senior Lecturer in Philosophy at Keele University
Giuseppina D'Oro is Senior Lecturer in Philosophy at Keele University
Author
(1889-1943) formerly Waynflete Professor of Metaphysical Philosophy, University of Oxford
Editor
Sothampton Solent University
Keele University
Content
Editors' Introduction ; AN ESSAY ON PHILOSOPHICAL METHOD ; The Metaphysics of F. H. Bradley: An Essay on 'Appearance and Reality' ; Correspondence between R. G. Collingwood and Gilbert Ryle ; Method and Metaphysics ; Index