Abstract

R.G. Collingwood argues that what is properly called 'art' shares none of the features of craft. This article looks critically at his attribution to Plato of the sharply contrasting view that poetry is simply a craft. There is an important sense in which poetry is not a craft (techne) for Plato. Moreover, Plato's views are much closer to Collingwood's own than Collingwood appreciates.