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.