Though some of Sir Isaiah's best-known essays were included in the
previous two volumes of his collected essays (Russian Thinkers and
Concepts and Categories), this third of four scheduled volumes
contains the essence of Berlin's scholarly contribution because all
his writing is deeply involved with the history of ideas. If he has
a single guiding principle, it is that the search for a final truth
is illusory and dangerous, and that human existence is culturally,
historically, and therefore relatively constituted. Not
surprisingly, then, his touchstone is Vico, the 18th-century
Italian philosopher who rejected the notion that the methods of the
natural sciences - particularly mathematics - could yield
definitive results when applied to the realm of social life, where
what is true for one culture and historical epoch is not
necessarily true for another. Aside from two essays specifically on
Vico, Berlin explores the same theme in pieces on Machiavelli,
Montesquieu, and various lesser-known thinkers of the
"counter-Enlightenment." In all of these, Berlin treads a narrow
path bordered by various irrationalist currents, but his step is
sure and he knows just where he is going in extolling the virtues
of intellectual temperance and pluralism against the excesses of
pseudo-scientific rigidity. Other essays deal with problems of
Jewish identity, centering on the writings of Moses Hess, a
19th-century socialist and Zionist, and on a comparison of the
existential similarities of Benjamin Disraeli and Karl Marx. The
issue of cultural identity is also taken up in essays on Alexander
Herzen and George Sorel, and in a final piece on nationalism as a
force to be reckoned with. Throughout, Sir Isaiah is mapping our
own cultural and historical relatedness and showing us the implicit
"relevance" of the history of ideas to our time. The essays are
elegantly written, one and all, by a master of the genre who is
also one of the true intellectuals living today. (Kirkus Reviews)
With his unusual powers of imaginative re-creation, Berlin brings to life original minds that swam against the current of their times, and in the process offers a powerful defence of variety in our visions of life. Roger Hausheer's new introduction survey's Berlin's whole oeuvre, and the full bibliography of his publications has been updated for this edition. 'A most remarkable intellectual achievement. There are few books published in our time which more dazzlingly illuminate some of the most crucial problems of western culture and civilisation.' ENCOUNTER 'Berlin expounds with idea of half-forgotten thinkers with luminous clarity and imaginative empathy...exhilirating to read.' OBSERVER
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
