Contrary to the Trend: A Collection of Essays on the History of Ideas: A Collection of Essays on the History of Ideas

Author: Berlin
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-10-01
Features: "Berlin elucidates the ideas of those half-forgotten thinkers with profound clarity and imaginative sympathy. The reading is invigorating." —Kis Thorne In the outstanding essays collected in this book, Berlin discusses the great "dissidents" in the history of modern thought, including Machiavelli, Vico, Montesquieu, Hamann, Herzen, and Sorel. These contrarians' ideas continue to challenge conventional wisdom, yet their contributions remain largely unrecognized. With his extraordinary imaginative restorative power, Berlin vividly reveals the true insights of these overlooked and misunderstood thinkers, thereby defending the ideal of life's diversity and the concept of freedom and tolerance.