Customer Reviews

Conversations with Isaiah Berlin: Recollections of an Historian of Ideas

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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...

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.

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.