Conversations with Isaiah Berlin: Recollections of an Historian of Ideas [Paperback]

Ramin Jahanbegloo (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2000

:"Conversations here means the minds of the interviewed and interviewer meet on equal terms in language that is transparently clear, informed, witty and entertaining."--Stephen Spender. Philosopher and leading proponent of liberal thinking, it's essential to understand Berlin, especially to appreciate his impact on intellectual and political views of the last 50 years.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

RAMIN JAHANBEGLOO Born 1956, Iran. Currently lectures in Political Philosophy and Comparative Politics at the University of Toronto. ISAIAH BERLIN Born 1909, Lithuania. In 1916 he moved with his family to Petrograd. In 1921 his family moved to England. Educated at St Paul's School and Corpus Christi College, Oxford. Thereafter he remained at Oxford, where he held Fellowships at All Souls College and New College, and became Chichele Professor of Social and Political Theory (1957-67) and first President of Wolfson College (1966-75). He was President of the British Academy from 1974 to 1978. He died in Oxford in November 1997. During the Second World War he was sent by the FO to New York (1941); Washington (1942 - 1946), Moscow (1945-6. He received many honorary degrees as well as the Erasmus , Lippincott, Jerusalem and Agnelli Prizes.

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Phoenix Press (November 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1842121642
• ISBN-13: 978-1842121641
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,606,011 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars the art of conversation, December 6, 2000

By 

Edward Kanterian (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Conversations with Isaiah Berlin: Recollections of an Historian of Ideas (Paperback)

Isaiah Berlin was not only a skillful writer covering fascinating topics of the History of Ideas. He was also best at enganging in a stimulating and (given his vast knowledge) educating intellectual conversation. Mr. Jahanbegloo's book is one of the few proofs of this less known aspect of Berlin. Having been out of print for a long while, the paperback edition is out there now, finally. Read how Berlin vividly describes his youth and student years, how he got into the History of Ideas, how Oxford was like after the War, what he thinks of Hannah Arendt, communism and nationalism, etc. If not Berlin's best known books, certainly his most entertaining. This poses a serious problem: you will devour it in a day and wish there was a sequel...

5.0 out of 5 stars Wrong Title, October 23, 2003

By 

John P. Dunn (Cold Spring, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Conversations with Isaiah Berlin: Recollections of an Historian of Ideas (Paperback)

Just for information, the title as listed is wrong. The title is simply CONVERSATIONS WITH ISAIAH BERLIN. (You do correctly list the hardback title.) The "Phoenix" you've placed in the title is, in fact, the publisher: Phoenix Press in London.

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not Much Here!, May 12, 2004

By 

Kevin Currie-Knight "Education Grad Student" (Newark, Delaware) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Conversations with Isaiah Berlin: Recollections of an Historian of Ideas (Paperback)

I am a huge fan of Berlin's writings. There have been several posthumous releases and I've enjoyed every one. Unfortunately, I enjoyed this one half as much as some others.

The problem, in a nutshell, is that if you are at all familiar with Berlin, then not much of this info will come as anything new. He discusses his view of pluralism, his admiration for Herder and Vico, his zionism, and several other well known areas of Berlin's thoughts.

The interviewer, in particular, did not ask very illuminating questions and as such, Berlin gives less than illuminating answers. At times (just my perception) it seemed like Berlin himself was less than pleased with a few of the questions. One important one that was not but should have been asked (as it is much on any Berlin-admirer's mind)is how he can reconcile pluralism (the belief that values irreducibly conflict both personally and interpersonally) and relativism (the view that ethical truths and ideals may simply be relative). While pluralism and relativism were talked of, there was not a single word about this question (that more than a few Berlin scholars have troubled over).

I gave the book three stars because it is just too hard to give Berlin any less. To be sure, I did like the book and the interview style makes it very readable and in some senses exciting ("Yeah! I would've asked that one. I wonder what he'll say?") It may suffer from a problem long known to Berlin - his work is too historical for philosophers and too philosophical for historians. For me, it was just right. It may be for you too. If you are fairly new to Berlin this is a good place to start. If you are a veteran (or moderately so) you won't find much new or illuminating here.