UC Berkeley

This paper examines the ways in which E. B. Bax and R. G. Collingwood attempted to avoid relativism and irrationalism without postulating a pure and universal reason. Both philosophers were profound historicists who recognised the fundamentally particular nature of the world. Yet they also attempted to retain a universal aspect to thought - Bax through his distinction between the logical and alogical realms, and Collingwood through his doctrine of re-enactment. The paper analyses both their metaphysical premises and their philosophies of history. Finally an attempt is made to use their arguments as starting points from which to arrive at a historicist resolution of the problems of relativism and irrationalism.