ONE CHEER FOR MARX: R.G. COLLINGWOOD'S DEFENCE OF THE 'FIGHTING PHILOSOPHER'

In this article I examine R.G. Collingwood's support for Marx as expressed in his An Autobiography. Standard interpretations of Collingwood's rather surprising new allegiance are investigated and their limitations pointed out. I explain exactly why Collingwood was drawn to Marx by looking closely at the political context of his discussion and by showing what it was in Marx which appealed to him. The priority Collingwood gave to a philosophy which can influence life is at the heart of his reading, but important, too, is his view of Marxism as a form of magic which can supply the emotional dynamic which makes the connection between theory and practice work.