"The Idea of Nature"

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses R. G. Collingwood's book, "The Idea of Nature". The paper examines whether the modern view of nature is closer to the ancient than the renaissance view. The paper illustrates how Collingwood analyzes the principle characteristics of three periods of cosmological thinking in the history of European thought: Greek, Renaissance and the Modern. The paper explains that by taking such an approach, Collingwood makes it possible for his readers to distinguish the similarities as well as fundamental differences between the modern view of nature and that of Greek and Renaissance cosmology.

From the Paper:

"In fact, Collingwood himself suggests as much at several points in his book. For instance, in his introduction he observes, "The modern view of Nature owes something both to Greek and to Renaissance cosmology, but it differs from each in fundamental ways." (p. 9) Thus, it is evident that Collingwood is conscious of the dangers inherent in any comparison that does not examine the antecedents of a particular school of thought. In fact, to avoid falling into such a trap, he takes meticulous care to establish how the scholars within a particular period and across eras built on the work of their predecessors by identifying and addressing loopholes and unanswered questions."

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