This document discusses philosopher R.G. Collingwood's theory of historical imagination and how it can be applied in the classroom. Collingwood believed that historians must use their imagination to reconstruct the past since historical events cannot be directly observed. He argued that the historian's understanding of the past is imaginary but still grounded in evidence from primary sources. The document outlines Collingwood's view that historians engage in processes of re-enactment, interpolation, and interrogation of primary sources to imaginatively understand past thoughts and events within their original context. It proposes that Collingwood's theory provides support for constructivist teaching approaches that emphasize critical inquiry and students constructing their own understandings of history.
Original Description:
short explanation of Collingwood's "The Idea of History"
Original Title
The Historical Imagination: Collingwood in the Classroom
This document discusses philosopher R.G. Collingwood's theory of historical imagination and how it can be applied in the classroom. Collingwood believed that historians must use their imagin…