Books

“Relativism” by Leo Strauss

– Strauss, Leo. ‘Relativism’, in Relativism and the Study of Man. H. Schoeck and J. Wiggins (eds.). Princeton: Van Nostrand, 1961.  

“Berlin on the Compatibility of Values, Ideals, and “Ends.’”

– MacCallum, Gerald C. “Berlin on the Compatibility of Values, Ideals, and “Ends.’” Ethics, 77: 139–45, 1967.  

Excerpt: “THE above passage in Berlin’s inaugural lecture launches an attack on what might be called the “compatibility conviction,” one version of which is provided… More

A Critical Appraisal of Sir Isaiah Berlin’s Political Philosophy

– Kocis, Robert. A Critical Appraisal of Sir Isaiah Berlin's Political Philosophy. Lewiston, NY, etc.: Edwin Mellen Press, 1989.  

From the Publisher: “This critical appraisal of Isaiah Berlin’s thoughts on the nature of reality, of humanity, of values, and of politics and liberty describes his views as… More

“Freedom’s Cautious Defender: Roger Scruton assesses the work of Sir Isaiah Berlin, 80 on Tuesday”

– Scruton, Roger. “Freedom's Cautious Defender: Roger Scruton assesses the work of Sir Isaiah Berlin, 80 on Tuesday,” The Times, 3 June, 10, 1989.

Conversations with Isaiah Berlin

– Jahanbegloo, Ramin. Conversations with Isaiah Berlin. London: Peter Halban; New York 1992, Scribner’s, 1992.

From the Publisher: “The philosopher, intellectual historian, and proponent of liberal thinking recounts his life, interspersing personal reminiscences with a discussion of the great… More

“The Singular and the Plural: On the Distinctive Liberalism of Isaiah Berlin”

– Lukes, Steven. “The Singular and the Plural: On the Distinctive Liberalism of Isaiah Berlin,” Social Research, 61: 687–718, 1994.  

Abstract: “Part of a special issue on the idea of liberalism and the liberal agenda. The writer analyzes the writings of Isaiah Berlin, who has written to great effect and purpose… More

Isaiah Berlin by John Gray

– Gray, John. Isaiah Berlin. London: HarperCollins; Princeton, 1996: Princeton University Press; retitled Berlin for the paperback edition, London, 1995: Fontana.

From the Publisher: “Isaiah Berlin (1909-1997) was the greatest intellectual historian of the twentieth century. But his work also made an original and important contribution to moral… More

“Are there Limits to Liberalism? Review of John Gray, Isaiah Berlin”

– Walzer, Michael. “Are there Limits to Liberalism? Review of John Gray, Isaiah Berlin” New York Times Review of Books October 1995.    

Excerpt: “In his famous essay on Tolstoy’s War and Peace, Isaiah Berlin divides writers about human affairs—philosophers, historians, social theorists, novelists, and poets—into… More

“Berlin on Pluralism and Liberalism: A Defence”

– Blokland, Hans. ‘Berlin on Pluralism and Liberalism: A Defence’, European Legacy, 4/4: 1–23, 1999.

“Interpreting Berlin’s Liberalism”

– Riley, Jonathan, “Interpreting Berlin's Liberalism,” American Political Science Review, 95: 283–95, 2001.

Abstract: “I argue that Isaiah Berlin’s pluralistic liberalism is best interpreted as a sophisticated form of liberal rationalism, as Berlin himself suggests. His value… More

Isaiah Berlin: Liberty and Pluralism

– Crowder, George. Isaiah Berlin: Liberty and Pluralism. Cambridge: Polity, 2004.

From the Publisher: “Isaiah Berlin was one of the leading political thinkers of the twentieth century, and his work continues to attract admiration and debate. In Isaiah Berlin:… More

“Was Liberalism’s Philosopher-in-Chief a Conservative?” by Michael Knox Beran

– Michael Knox Beran “Was Liberalism’s Philosopher-in-Chief a Conservative?” city-journal.org, Winter 2006.

Excerpt: “Sir Isaiah (pronounced aye-ZYE-ah) Berlin, who died in 1997 at 88, was one of the last century’s notable talkers. “One was startled from the beginning,” Arthur… More

“The Spectacles of Isaiah Berlin”

– Inbari, Assaf. “The Spectacles of Isaiah Berlin.” Azure Online, 2006  

Excerpt: “Honest liberals know that they are not pluralists. They know that the liberal worldview does not recognize the validity of other worldviews, and that it aspires—using all… More

Political Ideas in the Romantic Age: Their Rise and Influence on Modern Thought

– Political Ideas in the Romantic Age: Their Rise and Influence on Modern Thought, Henry Hardy (ed.), London: Chatto and Windus; Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2006.  

From the Publisher: “Political Ideas in the Romantic Age is the only book in which the great intellectual historian Isaiah Berlin lays out in one continuous account most of his key… More

“Berlin, Liberalism in the Face of Diversity”

– Crowder, George. “Berlin, Liberalism in the Face of Diversity,” resetdoc.org. June, 2007.  

Excerpt: “An increase of complexity, a multiplication of the quests for an identitarian acknowledgement, an erosion of the modern instruments for conflict resolution: contemporary… More

“Berlin My Hero”

– Cartwright, Justin, “Berlin My Hero,” Jewish Quarterly, February, 2009.

Excerpt: “I can sum it up simply by calling myself a wannabe Jew. From my earliest days I have had the sense that Jews embody the distillation of what it is to be human. As if being… More

“Some Remarks on Isaiah Berlin”

– Khachaturian, Rafael. “Some Remarks on Isaiah Berlin.” Dissent Magazine, August 2010.  

Excerpt: “Last year’s centennial of Isaiah Berlin’s birth saw yet another revival of interest in his life and thought. Thanks largely to the indefatigable Henry Hardy, his… More

Isaiah Berlin: The Journey of a Jewish Liberal

– Dubnov, Arie M. Isaiah Berlin: The Journey of a Jewish Liberal. London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2012.  

From the Publisher: “This study offers a fresh reappraisal of the philosopher, political thinker, and historian of ideas Sir Isaiah Berlin (1909-1997) from childhood to the height of… More

The Magus of the North: J.G. Hamann and the Origins of Modern Irrationalism

– The Magus of the North: J.G. Hamann and the Origins of Modern Irrationalism. London: John Murray, 1993; New York: Farrar, Straus, Giroux, 1994.  

From the Publisher: “J.G. Hamann (1730-88) was a solitary and idiosyncratic thinker who lived a life of poverty and neglect. He was admired by Herder, Goethe, and later by… More

Essays

“Relativism” by Leo Strauss

– Strauss, Leo. ‘Relativism’, in Relativism and the Study of Man. H. Schoeck and J. Wiggins (eds.). Princeton: Van Nostrand, 1961.  

“Berlin on the Compatibility of Values, Ideals, and “Ends.’”

– MacCallum, Gerald C. “Berlin on the Compatibility of Values, Ideals, and “Ends.’” Ethics, 77: 139–45, 1967.  

Excerpt: “THE above passage in Berlin’s inaugural lecture launches an attack on what might be called the “compatibility conviction,” one version of which is provided… More

A Critical Appraisal of Sir Isaiah Berlin’s Political Philosophy

– Kocis, Robert. A Critical Appraisal of Sir Isaiah Berlin's Political Philosophy. Lewiston, NY, etc.: Edwin Mellen Press, 1989.  

From the Publisher: “This critical appraisal of Isaiah Berlin’s thoughts on the nature of reality, of humanity, of values, and of politics and liberty describes his views as… More

“Freedom’s Cautious Defender: Roger Scruton assesses the work of Sir Isaiah Berlin, 80 on Tuesday”

– Scruton, Roger. “Freedom's Cautious Defender: Roger Scruton assesses the work of Sir Isaiah Berlin, 80 on Tuesday,” The Times, 3 June, 10, 1989.

Conversations with Isaiah Berlin

– Jahanbegloo, Ramin. Conversations with Isaiah Berlin. London: Peter Halban; New York 1992, Scribner’s, 1992.

From the Publisher: “The philosopher, intellectual historian, and proponent of liberal thinking recounts his life, interspersing personal reminiscences with a discussion of the great… More

“The Singular and the Plural: On the Distinctive Liberalism of Isaiah Berlin”

– Lukes, Steven. “The Singular and the Plural: On the Distinctive Liberalism of Isaiah Berlin,” Social Research, 61: 687–718, 1994.  

Abstract: “Part of a special issue on the idea of liberalism and the liberal agenda. The writer analyzes the writings of Isaiah Berlin, who has written to great effect and purpose… More

Isaiah Berlin by John Gray

– Gray, John. Isaiah Berlin. London: HarperCollins; Princeton, 1996: Princeton University Press; retitled Berlin for the paperback edition, London, 1995: Fontana.

From the Publisher: “Isaiah Berlin (1909-1997) was the greatest intellectual historian of the twentieth century. But his work also made an original and important contribution to moral… More

“Are there Limits to Liberalism? Review of John Gray, Isaiah Berlin”

– Walzer, Michael. “Are there Limits to Liberalism? Review of John Gray, Isaiah Berlin” New York Times Review of Books October 1995.    

Excerpt: “In his famous essay on Tolstoy’s War and Peace, Isaiah Berlin divides writers about human affairs—philosophers, historians, social theorists, novelists, and poets—into… More

“Berlin on Pluralism and Liberalism: A Defence”

– Blokland, Hans. ‘Berlin on Pluralism and Liberalism: A Defence’, European Legacy, 4/4: 1–23, 1999.

“Interpreting Berlin’s Liberalism”

– Riley, Jonathan, “Interpreting Berlin's Liberalism,” American Political Science Review, 95: 283–95, 2001.

Abstract: “I argue that Isaiah Berlin’s pluralistic liberalism is best interpreted as a sophisticated form of liberal rationalism, as Berlin himself suggests. His value… More

Isaiah Berlin: Liberty and Pluralism

– Crowder, George. Isaiah Berlin: Liberty and Pluralism. Cambridge: Polity, 2004.

From the Publisher: “Isaiah Berlin was one of the leading political thinkers of the twentieth century, and his work continues to attract admiration and debate. In Isaiah Berlin:… More

“Was Liberalism’s Philosopher-in-Chief a Conservative?” by Michael Knox Beran

– Michael Knox Beran “Was Liberalism’s Philosopher-in-Chief a Conservative?” city-journal.org, Winter 2006.

Excerpt: “Sir Isaiah (pronounced aye-ZYE-ah) Berlin, who died in 1997 at 88, was one of the last century’s notable talkers. “One was startled from the beginning,” Arthur… More

“The Spectacles of Isaiah Berlin”

– Inbari, Assaf. “The Spectacles of Isaiah Berlin.” Azure Online, 2006  

Excerpt: “Honest liberals know that they are not pluralists. They know that the liberal worldview does not recognize the validity of other worldviews, and that it aspires—using all… More

Political Ideas in the Romantic Age: Their Rise and Influence on Modern Thought

– Political Ideas in the Romantic Age: Their Rise and Influence on Modern Thought, Henry Hardy (ed.), London: Chatto and Windus; Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2006.  

From the Publisher: “Political Ideas in the Romantic Age is the only book in which the great intellectual historian Isaiah Berlin lays out in one continuous account most of his key… More

“Berlin, Liberalism in the Face of Diversity”

– Crowder, George. “Berlin, Liberalism in the Face of Diversity,” resetdoc.org. June, 2007.  

Excerpt: “An increase of complexity, a multiplication of the quests for an identitarian acknowledgement, an erosion of the modern instruments for conflict resolution: contemporary… More

“Berlin My Hero”

– Cartwright, Justin, “Berlin My Hero,” Jewish Quarterly, February, 2009.

Excerpt: “I can sum it up simply by calling myself a wannabe Jew. From my earliest days I have had the sense that Jews embody the distillation of what it is to be human. As if being… More

“Some Remarks on Isaiah Berlin”

– Khachaturian, Rafael. “Some Remarks on Isaiah Berlin.” Dissent Magazine, August 2010.  

Excerpt: “Last year’s centennial of Isaiah Berlin’s birth saw yet another revival of interest in his life and thought. Thanks largely to the indefatigable Henry Hardy, his… More

Isaiah Berlin: The Journey of a Jewish Liberal

– Dubnov, Arie M. Isaiah Berlin: The Journey of a Jewish Liberal. London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2012.  

From the Publisher: “This study offers a fresh reappraisal of the philosopher, political thinker, and historian of ideas Sir Isaiah Berlin (1909-1997) from childhood to the height of… More

The Magus of the North: J.G. Hamann and the Origins of Modern Irrationalism

– The Magus of the North: J.G. Hamann and the Origins of Modern Irrationalism. London: John Murray, 1993; New York: Farrar, Straus, Giroux, 1994.  

From the Publisher: “J.G. Hamann (1730-88) was a solitary and idiosyncratic thinker who lived a life of poverty and neglect. He was admired by Herder, Goethe, and later by… More

Commentary

“Relativism” by Leo Strauss

– Strauss, Leo. ‘Relativism’, in Relativism and the Study of Man. H. Schoeck and J. Wiggins (eds.). Princeton: Van Nostrand, 1961.  

“Berlin on the Compatibility of Values, Ideals, and “Ends.’”

– MacCallum, Gerald C. “Berlin on the Compatibility of Values, Ideals, and “Ends.’” Ethics, 77: 139–45, 1967.  

Excerpt: “THE above passage in Berlin’s inaugural lecture launches an attack on what might be called the “compatibility conviction,” one version of which is provided… More

A Critical Appraisal of Sir Isaiah Berlin’s Political Philosophy

– Kocis, Robert. A Critical Appraisal of Sir Isaiah Berlin's Political Philosophy. Lewiston, NY, etc.: Edwin Mellen Press, 1989.  

From the Publisher: “This critical appraisal of Isaiah Berlin’s thoughts on the nature of reality, of humanity, of values, and of politics and liberty describes his views as… More

“Freedom’s Cautious Defender: Roger Scruton assesses the work of Sir Isaiah Berlin, 80 on Tuesday”

– Scruton, Roger. “Freedom's Cautious Defender: Roger Scruton assesses the work of Sir Isaiah Berlin, 80 on Tuesday,” The Times, 3 June, 10, 1989.

Conversations with Isaiah Berlin

– Jahanbegloo, Ramin. Conversations with Isaiah Berlin. London: Peter Halban; New York 1992, Scribner’s, 1992.

From the Publisher: “The philosopher, intellectual historian, and proponent of liberal thinking recounts his life, interspersing personal reminiscences with a discussion of the great… More

“The Singular and the Plural: On the Distinctive Liberalism of Isaiah Berlin”

– Lukes, Steven. “The Singular and the Plural: On the Distinctive Liberalism of Isaiah Berlin,” Social Research, 61: 687–718, 1994.  

Abstract: “Part of a special issue on the idea of liberalism and the liberal agenda. The writer analyzes the writings of Isaiah Berlin, who has written to great effect and purpose… More

Isaiah Berlin by John Gray

– Gray, John. Isaiah Berlin. London: HarperCollins; Princeton, 1996: Princeton University Press; retitled Berlin for the paperback edition, London, 1995: Fontana.

From the Publisher: “Isaiah Berlin (1909-1997) was the greatest intellectual historian of the twentieth century. But his work also made an original and important contribution to moral… More

“Are there Limits to Liberalism? Review of John Gray, Isaiah Berlin”

– Walzer, Michael. “Are there Limits to Liberalism? Review of John Gray, Isaiah Berlin” New York Times Review of Books October 1995.    

Excerpt: “In his famous essay on Tolstoy’s War and Peace, Isaiah Berlin divides writers about human affairs—philosophers, historians, social theorists, novelists, and poets—into… More

“Berlin on Pluralism and Liberalism: A Defence”

– Blokland, Hans. ‘Berlin on Pluralism and Liberalism: A Defence’, European Legacy, 4/4: 1–23, 1999.

“Interpreting Berlin’s Liberalism”

– Riley, Jonathan, “Interpreting Berlin's Liberalism,” American Political Science Review, 95: 283–95, 2001.

Abstract: “I argue that Isaiah Berlin’s pluralistic liberalism is best interpreted as a sophisticated form of liberal rationalism, as Berlin himself suggests. His value… More

Isaiah Berlin: Liberty and Pluralism

– Crowder, George. Isaiah Berlin: Liberty and Pluralism. Cambridge: Polity, 2004.

From the Publisher: “Isaiah Berlin was one of the leading political thinkers of the twentieth century, and his work continues to attract admiration and debate. In Isaiah Berlin:… More

“Was Liberalism’s Philosopher-in-Chief a Conservative?” by Michael Knox Beran

– Michael Knox Beran “Was Liberalism’s Philosopher-in-Chief a Conservative?” city-journal.org, Winter 2006.

Excerpt: “Sir Isaiah (pronounced aye-ZYE-ah) Berlin, who died in 1997 at 88, was one of the last century’s notable talkers. “One was startled from the beginning,” Arthur… More

“The Spectacles of Isaiah Berlin”

– Inbari, Assaf. “The Spectacles of Isaiah Berlin.” Azure Online, 2006  

Excerpt: “Honest liberals know that they are not pluralists. They know that the liberal worldview does not recognize the validity of other worldviews, and that it aspires—using all… More

Political Ideas in the Romantic Age: Their Rise and Influence on Modern Thought

– Political Ideas in the Romantic Age: Their Rise and Influence on Modern Thought, Henry Hardy (ed.), London: Chatto and Windus; Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2006.  

From the Publisher: “Political Ideas in the Romantic Age is the only book in which the great intellectual historian Isaiah Berlin lays out in one continuous account most of his key… More

“Berlin, Liberalism in the Face of Diversity”

– Crowder, George. “Berlin, Liberalism in the Face of Diversity,” resetdoc.org. June, 2007.  

Excerpt: “An increase of complexity, a multiplication of the quests for an identitarian acknowledgement, an erosion of the modern instruments for conflict resolution: contemporary… More

“Berlin My Hero”

– Cartwright, Justin, “Berlin My Hero,” Jewish Quarterly, February, 2009.

Excerpt: “I can sum it up simply by calling myself a wannabe Jew. From my earliest days I have had the sense that Jews embody the distillation of what it is to be human. As if being… More

“Some Remarks on Isaiah Berlin”

– Khachaturian, Rafael. “Some Remarks on Isaiah Berlin.” Dissent Magazine, August 2010.  

Excerpt: “Last year’s centennial of Isaiah Berlin’s birth saw yet another revival of interest in his life and thought. Thanks largely to the indefatigable Henry Hardy, his… More

Isaiah Berlin: The Journey of a Jewish Liberal

– Dubnov, Arie M. Isaiah Berlin: The Journey of a Jewish Liberal. London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2012.  

From the Publisher: “This study offers a fresh reappraisal of the philosopher, political thinker, and historian of ideas Sir Isaiah Berlin (1909-1997) from childhood to the height of… More

The Magus of the North: J.G. Hamann and the Origins of Modern Irrationalism

– The Magus of the North: J.G. Hamann and the Origins of Modern Irrationalism. London: John Murray, 1993; New York: Farrar, Straus, Giroux, 1994.  

From the Publisher: “J.G. Hamann (1730-88) was a solitary and idiosyncratic thinker who lived a life of poverty and neglect. He was admired by Herder, Goethe, and later by… More

Multimedia

“Relativism” by Leo Strauss

– Strauss, Leo. ‘Relativism’, in Relativism and the Study of Man. H. Schoeck and J. Wiggins (eds.). Princeton: Van Nostrand, 1961.  

“Berlin on the Compatibility of Values, Ideals, and “Ends.’”

– MacCallum, Gerald C. “Berlin on the Compatibility of Values, Ideals, and “Ends.’” Ethics, 77: 139–45, 1967.  

Excerpt: “THE above passage in Berlin’s inaugural lecture launches an attack on what might be called the “compatibility conviction,” one version of which is provided… More

A Critical Appraisal of Sir Isaiah Berlin’s Political Philosophy

– Kocis, Robert. A Critical Appraisal of Sir Isaiah Berlin's Political Philosophy. Lewiston, NY, etc.: Edwin Mellen Press, 1989.  

From the Publisher: “This critical appraisal of Isaiah Berlin’s thoughts on the nature of reality, of humanity, of values, and of politics and liberty describes his views as… More

“Freedom’s Cautious Defender: Roger Scruton assesses the work of Sir Isaiah Berlin, 80 on Tuesday”

– Scruton, Roger. “Freedom's Cautious Defender: Roger Scruton assesses the work of Sir Isaiah Berlin, 80 on Tuesday,” The Times, 3 June, 10, 1989.

Conversations with Isaiah Berlin

– Jahanbegloo, Ramin. Conversations with Isaiah Berlin. London: Peter Halban; New York 1992, Scribner’s, 1992.

From the Publisher: “The philosopher, intellectual historian, and proponent of liberal thinking recounts his life, interspersing personal reminiscences with a discussion of the great… More

“The Singular and the Plural: On the Distinctive Liberalism of Isaiah Berlin”

– Lukes, Steven. “The Singular and the Plural: On the Distinctive Liberalism of Isaiah Berlin,” Social Research, 61: 687–718, 1994.  

Abstract: “Part of a special issue on the idea of liberalism and the liberal agenda. The writer analyzes the writings of Isaiah Berlin, who has written to great effect and purpose… More

Isaiah Berlin by John Gray

– Gray, John. Isaiah Berlin. London: HarperCollins; Princeton, 1996: Princeton University Press; retitled Berlin for the paperback edition, London, 1995: Fontana.

From the Publisher: “Isaiah Berlin (1909-1997) was the greatest intellectual historian of the twentieth century. But his work also made an original and important contribution to moral… More

“Are there Limits to Liberalism? Review of John Gray, Isaiah Berlin”

– Walzer, Michael. “Are there Limits to Liberalism? Review of John Gray, Isaiah Berlin” New York Times Review of Books October 1995.    

Excerpt: “In his famous essay on Tolstoy’s War and Peace, Isaiah Berlin divides writers about human affairs—philosophers, historians, social theorists, novelists, and poets—into… More

“Berlin on Pluralism and Liberalism: A Defence”

– Blokland, Hans. ‘Berlin on Pluralism and Liberalism: A Defence’, European Legacy, 4/4: 1–23, 1999.

“Interpreting Berlin’s Liberalism”

– Riley, Jonathan, “Interpreting Berlin's Liberalism,” American Political Science Review, 95: 283–95, 2001.

Abstract: “I argue that Isaiah Berlin’s pluralistic liberalism is best interpreted as a sophisticated form of liberal rationalism, as Berlin himself suggests. His value… More

Isaiah Berlin: Liberty and Pluralism

– Crowder, George. Isaiah Berlin: Liberty and Pluralism. Cambridge: Polity, 2004.

From the Publisher: “Isaiah Berlin was one of the leading political thinkers of the twentieth century, and his work continues to attract admiration and debate. In Isaiah Berlin:… More

“Was Liberalism’s Philosopher-in-Chief a Conservative?” by Michael Knox Beran

– Michael Knox Beran “Was Liberalism’s Philosopher-in-Chief a Conservative?” city-journal.org, Winter 2006.

Excerpt: “Sir Isaiah (pronounced aye-ZYE-ah) Berlin, who died in 1997 at 88, was one of the last century’s notable talkers. “One was startled from the beginning,” Arthur… More

“The Spectacles of Isaiah Berlin”

– Inbari, Assaf. “The Spectacles of Isaiah Berlin.” Azure Online, 2006  

Excerpt: “Honest liberals know that they are not pluralists. They know that the liberal worldview does not recognize the validity of other worldviews, and that it aspires—using all… More

Political Ideas in the Romantic Age: Their Rise and Influence on Modern Thought

– Political Ideas in the Romantic Age: Their Rise and Influence on Modern Thought, Henry Hardy (ed.), London: Chatto and Windus; Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2006.  

From the Publisher: “Political Ideas in the Romantic Age is the only book in which the great intellectual historian Isaiah Berlin lays out in one continuous account most of his key… More

“Berlin, Liberalism in the Face of Diversity”

– Crowder, George. “Berlin, Liberalism in the Face of Diversity,” resetdoc.org. June, 2007.  

Excerpt: “An increase of complexity, a multiplication of the quests for an identitarian acknowledgement, an erosion of the modern instruments for conflict resolution: contemporary… More

“Berlin My Hero”

– Cartwright, Justin, “Berlin My Hero,” Jewish Quarterly, February, 2009.

Excerpt: “I can sum it up simply by calling myself a wannabe Jew. From my earliest days I have had the sense that Jews embody the distillation of what it is to be human. As if being… More

“Some Remarks on Isaiah Berlin”

– Khachaturian, Rafael. “Some Remarks on Isaiah Berlin.” Dissent Magazine, August 2010.  

Excerpt: “Last year’s centennial of Isaiah Berlin’s birth saw yet another revival of interest in his life and thought. Thanks largely to the indefatigable Henry Hardy, his… More

Isaiah Berlin: The Journey of a Jewish Liberal

– Dubnov, Arie M. Isaiah Berlin: The Journey of a Jewish Liberal. London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2012.  

From the Publisher: “This study offers a fresh reappraisal of the philosopher, political thinker, and historian of ideas Sir Isaiah Berlin (1909-1997) from childhood to the height of… More

The Magus of the North: J.G. Hamann and the Origins of Modern Irrationalism

– The Magus of the North: J.G. Hamann and the Origins of Modern Irrationalism. London: John Murray, 1993; New York: Farrar, Straus, Giroux, 1994.  

From the Publisher: “J.G. Hamann (1730-88) was a solitary and idiosyncratic thinker who lived a life of poverty and neglect. He was admired by Herder, Goethe, and later by… More

Teaching

“Relativism” by Leo Strauss

– Strauss, Leo. ‘Relativism’, in Relativism and the Study of Man. H. Schoeck and J. Wiggins (eds.). Princeton: Van Nostrand, 1961.  

“Berlin on the Compatibility of Values, Ideals, and “Ends.’”

– MacCallum, Gerald C. “Berlin on the Compatibility of Values, Ideals, and “Ends.’” Ethics, 77: 139–45, 1967.  

Excerpt: “THE above passage in Berlin’s inaugural lecture launches an attack on what might be called the “compatibility conviction,” one version of which is provided… More

A Critical Appraisal of Sir Isaiah Berlin’s Political Philosophy

– Kocis, Robert. A Critical Appraisal of Sir Isaiah Berlin's Political Philosophy. Lewiston, NY, etc.: Edwin Mellen Press, 1989.  

From the Publisher: “This critical appraisal of Isaiah Berlin’s thoughts on the nature of reality, of humanity, of values, and of politics and liberty describes his views as… More

“Freedom’s Cautious Defender: Roger Scruton assesses the work of Sir Isaiah Berlin, 80 on Tuesday”

– Scruton, Roger. “Freedom's Cautious Defender: Roger Scruton assesses the work of Sir Isaiah Berlin, 80 on Tuesday,” The Times, 3 June, 10, 1989.

Conversations with Isaiah Berlin

– Jahanbegloo, Ramin. Conversations with Isaiah Berlin. London: Peter Halban; New York 1992, Scribner’s, 1992.

From the Publisher: “The philosopher, intellectual historian, and proponent of liberal thinking recounts his life, interspersing personal reminiscences with a discussion of the great… More

“The Singular and the Plural: On the Distinctive Liberalism of Isaiah Berlin”

– Lukes, Steven. “The Singular and the Plural: On the Distinctive Liberalism of Isaiah Berlin,” Social Research, 61: 687–718, 1994.  

Abstract: “Part of a special issue on the idea of liberalism and the liberal agenda. The writer analyzes the writings of Isaiah Berlin, who has written to great effect and purpose… More

Isaiah Berlin by John Gray

– Gray, John. Isaiah Berlin. London: HarperCollins; Princeton, 1996: Princeton University Press; retitled Berlin for the paperback edition, London, 1995: Fontana.

From the Publisher: “Isaiah Berlin (1909-1997) was the greatest intellectual historian of the twentieth century. But his work also made an original and important contribution to moral… More

“Are there Limits to Liberalism? Review of John Gray, Isaiah Berlin”

– Walzer, Michael. “Are there Limits to Liberalism? Review of John Gray, Isaiah Berlin” New York Times Review of Books October 1995.    

Excerpt: “In his famous essay on Tolstoy’s War and Peace, Isaiah Berlin divides writers about human affairs—philosophers, historians, social theorists, novelists, and poets—into… More

“Berlin on Pluralism and Liberalism: A Defence”

– Blokland, Hans. ‘Berlin on Pluralism and Liberalism: A Defence’, European Legacy, 4/4: 1–23, 1999.

“Interpreting Berlin’s Liberalism”

– Riley, Jonathan, “Interpreting Berlin's Liberalism,” American Political Science Review, 95: 283–95, 2001.

Abstract: “I argue that Isaiah Berlin’s pluralistic liberalism is best interpreted as a sophisticated form of liberal rationalism, as Berlin himself suggests. His value… More

Isaiah Berlin: Liberty and Pluralism

– Crowder, George. Isaiah Berlin: Liberty and Pluralism. Cambridge: Polity, 2004.

From the Publisher: “Isaiah Berlin was one of the leading political thinkers of the twentieth century, and his work continues to attract admiration and debate. In Isaiah Berlin:… More

“Was Liberalism’s Philosopher-in-Chief a Conservative?” by Michael Knox Beran

– Michael Knox Beran “Was Liberalism’s Philosopher-in-Chief a Conservative?” city-journal.org, Winter 2006.

Excerpt: “Sir Isaiah (pronounced aye-ZYE-ah) Berlin, who died in 1997 at 88, was one of the last century’s notable talkers. “One was startled from the beginning,” Arthur… More

“The Spectacles of Isaiah Berlin”

– Inbari, Assaf. “The Spectacles of Isaiah Berlin.” Azure Online, 2006  

Excerpt: “Honest liberals know that they are not pluralists. They know that the liberal worldview does not recognize the validity of other worldviews, and that it aspires—using all… More

Political Ideas in the Romantic Age: Their Rise and Influence on Modern Thought

– Political Ideas in the Romantic Age: Their Rise and Influence on Modern Thought, Henry Hardy (ed.), London: Chatto and Windus; Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2006.  

From the Publisher: “Political Ideas in the Romantic Age is the only book in which the great intellectual historian Isaiah Berlin lays out in one continuous account most of his key… More

“Berlin, Liberalism in the Face of Diversity”

– Crowder, George. “Berlin, Liberalism in the Face of Diversity,” resetdoc.org. June, 2007.  

Excerpt: “An increase of complexity, a multiplication of the quests for an identitarian acknowledgement, an erosion of the modern instruments for conflict resolution: contemporary… More

“Berlin My Hero”

– Cartwright, Justin, “Berlin My Hero,” Jewish Quarterly, February, 2009.

Excerpt: “I can sum it up simply by calling myself a wannabe Jew. From my earliest days I have had the sense that Jews embody the distillation of what it is to be human. As if being… More

“Some Remarks on Isaiah Berlin”

– Khachaturian, Rafael. “Some Remarks on Isaiah Berlin.” Dissent Magazine, August 2010.  

Excerpt: “Last year’s centennial of Isaiah Berlin’s birth saw yet another revival of interest in his life and thought. Thanks largely to the indefatigable Henry Hardy, his… More

Isaiah Berlin: The Journey of a Jewish Liberal

– Dubnov, Arie M. Isaiah Berlin: The Journey of a Jewish Liberal. London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2012.  

From the Publisher: “This study offers a fresh reappraisal of the philosopher, political thinker, and historian of ideas Sir Isaiah Berlin (1909-1997) from childhood to the height of… More

The Magus of the North: J.G. Hamann and the Origins of Modern Irrationalism

– The Magus of the North: J.G. Hamann and the Origins of Modern Irrationalism. London: John Murray, 1993; New York: Farrar, Straus, Giroux, 1994.  

From the Publisher: “J.G. Hamann (1730-88) was a solitary and idiosyncratic thinker who lived a life of poverty and neglect. He was admired by Herder, Goethe, and later by… More