Abstract

The introduction discusses the complex ways in which Isaiah Berlin’s intellectual legacy has been contested. There is basic uncertainty as to where to place him on the political spectrum; and there are questions about the depth of his political thought, as well as his conduct as an intellectual during the Cold War. I argue that Berlin’s ideas and stance cannot simply be copied in the context of what some observers take to be a new Cold War, but that they merit renewed attention and do indeed hold important lessons for the present. The introduction also briefly summarizes the three chapters of the volume.