Isaiah Berlin in the Twenty-First Century: Liberal Pluralism for Troubled Times

Isaiah Berlin is well known as a defender of liberal democracy in the Cold War. In this path-breaking study, George Crowder argues that Berlin’s ideas have application beyond their original context to the problems of our own time.

Focusing on three central themes - liberty, identity, and value pluralism - Crowder presents a fresh interpretation of Berlin, exposing the misunderstandings of critics, especially those who ignore Berlin’s pluralist foundation. Although genuine problems remain, these can be alleviated by revising and extending Berlin’s view to construct an updated liberal pluralism. Together with Berlin’s own arguments, liberal pluralism is then brought to bear on a range of current concerns, including neoliberalism, identity politics, populism, international relations, religion, feminism, climate change, and global pandemics. The resulting outlook is complex, realistic, humane, and positive.

Isaiah Berlin in the Twenty-First Century represents a new departure in the study of Berlin, value pluralism, and liberal thought more generally. It is essential reading for researchers and advanced students in these fields, but its wide range will appeal to anyone interested in the values and politics of our troubled times.

George Crowder is Emeritus Professor of Political Theory in the School of Business, Government, and Law, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia. His books include Liberalism and Value Pluralism (2002), Isaiah Berlin: Liberty and Pluralism (2004), The One and the Many: Reading Isaiah Berlin (co-edited with Henry Hardy, 2007), Theories of Multiculturalism (2013), and The Problem of Value Pluralism: Isaiah Berlinand Beyond (2019).