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Sorry in advance because I'm not trying to be difficult, but I've never been able to get anything out of Berlin's writings, other than some of his gossipy lette

Sorry in advance because I'm not trying to be difficult, but I've never been able to get anything out of Berlin's writings, other than some of his gossipy letters. He was a sparkling socialite of the academic elite, which makes him a historical figure in that way. But what valuable or original ideas did he come up with? The many essays about him, including the OP, never seem to specify this, at least not in any way that registers with me. It all seems so mushy and middling.

keiferski 8y ago
You don’t find the concept of “positive and negative liberty” to be specific and useful? Personally, I think it’s incredibly insightful yet fundamentally very simple, which is the mark of a good thinker IMO. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two_Concepts_of_Liberty https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two_Concepts_of_Liberty