Against the Tide: A Collection of Essays on the History of Ideas

Author: Isaiah Berlin (Author); (Translator)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-10-01
Features: "Berlin illuminates the ideas of those half-forgotten thinkers with's clarity and imaginative sympathy, making it uplifting to read." — Kees Thomaas In the outstanding essays collected in this book, Berlin discusses the great "dissidents" in the history of modern thought, such as 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 reconstructive power, Berlin vividly reveals the true innovations of these overlooked and misunderstood thinkers, thereby defending the ideals of life's diversity and the concepts of freedom and tolerance.