The Power of Ideas (ISBN 0691092761)

NOT THE BEST WORK OF BERLIN.:
First, let me say that this is a selection of Berlin editorials, arranged by Henry Hardy. The title is a quotation from Heine, who warned the French not to undervalue the power of ideas, since philosophical concepts nurtured in the peace of a library can destroy a civilization. Under this auspices, it seemed a very interesting theme: how the history of ideas has reflected upon, challenged and ultimately changed reality. The unseen code of reality. But the outcome is not par to the expectations. Well, Berlin is a first class philosopher and always highly entertaining. But the arrangement made here is at least a little haphazard: an attempt of intellectual autobiography (written in old age), editorials about history of philosophy, about the Russian late `800 intellectual environment, about socialism and Marxism, some incomplete considerations about freedom, editorials about Zionism and the birth of the State of Israel..... Too much indeed and too many themes. The best parts are the one dedicated to history of philosophy, since Berlin is one of those rare writers who is able to cast an entirely new light on the arguments he decides to investigate: the appraisal of Enlightenment is excellent (especially as Age of Mechanics opposed to the Age of Mathematics in the XVII Century), as well the essay about the purposes of Philosophy and one on the essence of European Romanticism (on this argument the best book is still his "The Roots of Romanticism", I warmly recommend). But, these are pearls scattered here and there with no apparent order. Better would have been to focus it much more on a restricted number of arguments. I'm a curious and voracious reader. If you have suggestion for further readings, better still... you don't agree with what I write, or just want to say hallo... feel free to write.

A demonstration of the power of ideas in uplifting the human spirit:
This book contains essays on a diverse set of topics by the great modern master of the History of Ideas, Isaiah Berlin. The opening essays in which he traces his intellectual path as a philosopher are of the highest possible interest. For we learn how Berlin came in the thirties to meet with those purists who insisted a a statement to be meaningful had to be verifiable. Berlin traces his own reservations from a narrow Logical Positivism into the broad study of the History of Ideas. He tells the story of how commissioned to write a work on Karl Marx he came to investigate his predecessors, and was led to those European Enlightentment thinkers the interpretation of whose work became one central contribution of his own to modern thought. Helvetius, Holbach, de Maistre, Condorcet, were the subject of explorations in understanding passionate thinkers whose ultimate models for Ideal Political Reality he would have reservations from, but who generally he would have great sympathy for. Another important section of the work has to do with Berlin's relation to the rise of modern Israel, to Zionism, and to his own great mentor, the great scientist and first President of Israel, Chaim Weizmann. Berlin's writing is characterized by vigor and human insight, by sudden sweeps of thought which dazzle and brighten. He is a wonderful writer and thinker. There is not a work of his I would not highly recommend. And this is no exception.