On religion in R. G. Collingwood's Speculum Mentis

This paper contrasts R. G. Collingwood’s early discussion of religion in Religion and Philosophy (1916) with that in Speculum Mentis (1924). Whereas the former is recognisable as an expression of contemporary Anglican theological thought (as represented by William Temple and others), the latter shows Collingwood moving more clearly in the direction Hegelian philosophy. Anglican ideas of the relationship of faith and reason, transcendence and immanence, the meaning-bearing capacity of the material world, mysticism and the common good are used to engage, illumine, and contest Collingwood’s position in Speculum Mentis. Collingwood’s remarks on the ontological proof of the Absolute (in place of God) are analysed with reference to both Hegel and more recent work on ontological arguments. It is argued that theological thought survives Collingwood’s critique in Speculum Mentis, and that this is evident in his essay, “Reason is Faith Cultivating Itself” (1927).