Conversations with Isaiah Berlin

by Ramin Jahanbegloo

Overview

An illuminating and witty dialogue with one of the greatest intellectual figures of the twentieth century. Ramin Jahanbegloo's interview with Isaiah Berlin grew into a series of five conversations which offer an intimate view of Berlin and his ideas. They include discussions on pluralism and liberty as well as the thinkers and writers who influenced Berlin. This revised edition provided an excellent introduction to Berlin's thought. Ramin Jahanbegloo is an Iranian philosopher, who has taught in Europe and North America. In 2006 he was imprisoned for several months in Iran. He is currently teaching Political Philosophy at Toronto University. 'Though like Our Lord and Socrates he does not publish much, he thinks and says a great deal and has had an enormous influence on our times'. Maurice Bowra 'Berlin never talks down to the interviewer. 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 'He is wise without seeming pompous, witty without seeming trivial, affectionate without seeming sentimental'. Michael Ignatieff 'Isaiah Berlin... has for fifty years in this talkative and quarrelsome city (Oxford) been something special, admired by all and disliked by no-one... a benevolent super-don'. John Bayley http://berlin.wolf.ox.ac.uk/

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781905559329
Publisher:	Halban
Publication date:	10/10/2011
Sold by:	Bookwire
Format:	eBook
Pages:	240
File size:	329 KB

About the Author

Ramin Jahanbegloo is an Iranian philosopher, who has taught in Europe and North America.  In 2006 he was imprisoned for several months in Iran.  He is currently teaching Political Philosophy at Toronto University.

Editorial Reviews

What began as an interview of the noted British philosopher and historian of ideas, conducted by the Iranian philosopher Jahanbegloo for the journal Esprit , grew into a series of five conversations, comprising a sort of intellectual memoir. They range over Berlin's writings on historicism, pluralism, and liberty as well as the ideas of thinkers such as Vico, Herder, and Herzen. Berlin also speaks of his many friends and acquaintances among the important thinkers and artists of the 20th century. Both urbane and opinionated, these conversations provide an able introduction to Berlin's thought that ultimately sends us back to his many books and essays. A fitting history of the ideas of the great historian of ideas.-- T.L. Cooksey, Armstrong State Coll., Savannah, Ga.

Library Journal

This engrossing memoir, written in the form of a dialogue between Berlin and Iranian philosopher Jahanbegloo, intersperses insights into the development of Berlin's ideas and political philosophy with rich personal reminiscences. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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