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The Hedgehog and the Fox: An Essay on Tolstoy's View of History - Second Edition Paperback – June 2, 2013
| Isaiah Berlin (Author) Find all the books, read about the author, and more. See search results for this author |
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"The fox knows many things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing." This ancient Greek aphorism, preserved in a fragment from the poet Archilochus, describes the central thesis of Isaiah Berlin's masterly essay on Leo Tolstoy and the philosophy of history, the subject of the epilogue to War and Peace. Although there have been many interpretations of the adage, Berlin uses it to mark a fundamental distinction between human beings who are fascinated by the infinite variety of things and those who relate everything to a central, all-embracing system. Applied to Tolstoy, the saying illuminates a paradox that helps explain his philosophy of history: Tolstoy was a fox, but believed in being a hedgehog. One of Berlin's most celebrated works, this extraordinary essay offers profound insights about Tolstoy, historical understanding, and human psychology.
This new edition features a revised text that supplants all previous versions, English translations of the many passages in foreign languages, a new foreword in which Berlin biographer Michael Ignatieff explains the enduring appeal of Berlin's essay, and a new appendix that provides rich context, including excerpts from reviews and Berlin's letters, as well as a startling new interpretation of Archilochus's epigram.
- Print length144 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherPrinceton University Press
- Publication dateJune 2, 2013
- Dimensions5.5 x 0.34 x 8.5 inches
- ISBN-10069115600X
- ISBN-13978-0691156002
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Editorial Reviews
Review
"Beautifully written and suggestive."---W. H. Auden, New Yorker
"A brilliant essay . . . a searching and profound analysis."---E. H. Carr, Times Literary Supplement
"So entertaining, as well as acute, that the reader hardly notices that it is learned too."---Arnold Toynbee, Observer
"The most important study of Tolstoy's thought written in English for a long time."---Noel Annan, Listener
"Berlin's stunning command of the resources of scholarship, his sensitivity to literature and to character, and his eloquence as a writer give this essay the luster of a virtuoso performance." ― Atlantic
"Delightful to read."---Peter Calvocoressi, Sunday Times
"Ingenious and subtle."---Max Beloff, Manchester Guardian
About the Author
Product details
- Publisher : Princeton University Press; Revised edition (June 2, 2013)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 144 pages
- ISBN-10 : 069115600X
- ISBN-13 : 978-0691156002
- Item Weight : 6.4 ounces
- Dimensions : 5.5 x 0.34 x 8.5 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #395,788 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #15 in Eastern European Literary Criticism (Books)
- #136 in Russian Literary Criticism
- #465 in Philosophy History & Survey
- Customer Reviews:
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By Jim Blake, Jr. on August 22, 2020
I would heartily recommend this to anyone reading War and Peace or has an interest in Tolstoy.
The brief summary is that he thinks Tolstoy is a fox who has respect and wishes he could make himself into a hedgehog. The other review is hysterical. Did The Onion write that?
The appendix has some good material both by Berlin and reviewers.
Top reviews from other countries
An interesting read even if you are not studying history for exams.









