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Pluralism And Liberal Ideas Of Freedom: Dublin Study

Posted on:2006-02-25Degree:DoctorType:Dissertation
Country:ChinaCandidate:L P JiangFull Text:PDF
GTID:1116360212484490Subject:Political Theory
Abstract/Summary:PDF Full Text Request
The aim of this paper is to conduct a systematic study on Berlin's liberalism ideology. After systematically crystallizing the relationship among various key elements embedded in Berlin's body of thought, this paper points out that through Berlin's academic life, a consistent research focus of "liberty and its betrayal" stands out from his enormous works full of insights covering largely diverse issues. Based on the exploration of the history of ideology and reinterpretation of the concept of liberty, Berlin argues that it's the belief and worship on rationalistic monism that leads to the fallacy of liberal ideal. Through an unremitting critique of various forms of rationalistic monism, Berlin endeavors to restructure liberalism by highlighting the importance of value pluralism and elevating it as the fundament and core of liberalism. It's fair saying that the threshold logic through all Berlin's works is his efforts to defend the validity of liberalism under the superficial historic relevance. With this logic as the index, the study on Berlin's liberalism thought will unfold as follows:Introduction. After a review of current literature on Berlin study, this section analyzes the basic methodology under Berlin's liberalism thought. Through exploring the internal logic interconnection among various key elements embedded in Berlin's body of thought, it summarizes the threshold logic underlining the following study of Berlin, i.e., the untiring efforts to defend the validity of liberalism under the superficial historic relevance. The basic structure of study based on this threshold logic is then outlined.Chapter One focuses on the historical background, reasons and intention of Berlin's reinterpretation of the concept of liberty. Based on a philosophical analysis of two concepts of "negative freedom" and "positive freedom", Berlin holds that both editions of freedom ideology could be exploited and fall into the opposite of freedom. Berlin doesn't directly refuse positive freedom, but attempts to seek a dynamic balance between negative and positive freedom. Simultaneously, by comparative analysis he concludes that positive freedom is easier to fall into the opposite of freedom compared with negative freedom. The reason for this degeneration of positive freedom into the opposite, i.e., coercion and lack of freedom, fundamentally lies in that it is closely linked to rationalistic monism, the core logic of which is opposite to the spirit of freedom.Chapter Two is mainly to demonstrate Berlin's critique of rationalistic monismleading to the fallacy of liberal ideal. Berlin states that the monism ideology, especially the rationalistic monism thought, which attempts to settle down the fundamental issues faced by human beings, is a metaphysic illusion through the whole western ideological history. It is the main origin of numerous tragedies in the 20 century, and even true one of the basic ideologies for totalitarianism from Yagebin's despotism to varied contemporary forms of it. Therefore, starting from the political and moral scenario in the 20th century, Berlin fiercely attacks the rationalistic monism that entraps freedom. This attack focuses on criticizing the enlightenment and historical determinism, which Berlin regards as the reflection of rationalistic monism.Chapter Three illustrates how Berlin restructures liberalism based on value diversification. Berlin objects that type of liberalism established on rationalistic monism, which, he argues that, will never turn freedom ideal into visible reality. Through an exploration of the history of ideology, Berlin highlights the importance of value diversification, and elevates it as the fundament and core of liberalism. Based on this, he attempts to restructure liberalism. Berlin holds that value diversification is the only tool that can consistently protect individual freedom, i.e., the core ideology of liberty, and prevent it from being marauded and penetrated by system constructor.Chapter Four mainly discusses Berlin's thought about liberal nationalism. The restructuring of liberalism based on value diversification imprints clear marks of communism ideology on Berlin's liberalism. Besides advocating individual freedom, Berlin also solicitudes the issue of individual belonging, confirms the value of community. In his opinion, the belonging to a specific community is not only vital to personal development and individual freedom realization, but also indispensable for prosperous cultural diversity. Tribute to and underpinning of individual freedom and community belonging constitute the fundamental point of Berlin's liberal nationalism thought. Berlin is one of the early ideologists that shed light on the issue of nationalism from liberalism ideology. His unique thought about liberalism is present all through his discourses about nations and nationalism.The concluding section generally describes the ideological portrait of Berlin's liberalism, gives prominence to his outstanding position in the political ideology history, and reveals the internal tension of his liberalism.Through a careful study of Berlin's liberalism, this paper concludes that as one of the most distinguished western ideologists in the 20th century, Berlin's thought is sharply distinct from other orthodox liberalism. Berlin refuses the traditionaldiscourse about liberalism, and has restructured liberalism on pluralism, which characterizes Berlin's liberalism thought with intense communism features. Despite the fact that Berlin's liberalism based on diversification overcomes some limitations of traditional liberalism, Berlin's liberalism thought is lack of internal consistency and clarity. There're two pairs of built-up hazardous tensions in his thought: the tension between liberalism and pluralism, and the tension between negative freedom and cultural belonging. Therefore, Berlin's restructuring of liberalism based on pluralism is not a complete success in that diversification finally weakens the moral base of liberalism.
Keywords/Search Tags:Isaiah Berlin, Liberalism, Value Pluralism, liberal nationalism
PDF Full Text Request
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