Review article - Isaiah Berlin's contribution to modern political theory

Three recent studies of Isaiah Berlin's moral and political thought stress the significance of value pluralism for his oeuvre. Whilst this emphasis en ables us to dispense with some rather misleading characterizations of Berli n's liberalism, it is less apparent that his political thought can be succe ss fully grounded within moral pluralism. Indeed his liberal beliefs sit ra ther more awkwardly within this ideological family than is usually assumed. Scholars seeking to revive Berlin's value pluralism in relation to contemp orary challenges, such as multiculturalism. have not successfully demonstra ted the utility of his thinking in relation to such problems, and have deve loped their arguments by downplaying the geo-political contexts which shape d his intellectual purposes. Yet his critics have neglected the fertility a nd range of his thought, aspects of which remain pertinent for those studyi ng political thought in general and liberalism in particular.