The article offers a thorough presentation of Isaiah Berlin’s conception of freedom, based on the recognition of its metadoctrinal character (such an interpretation had been fully accepted by Berlin). Th e reconstruction is backed up with many references to the author’s correspondence and conversations with Berlin. It consists, among other things, of: investigation of the intellectual sources of Berlin’s liberalism, analysis of his famous conceptual diff erentiation between negative and positive freedom (supplemented by a characteristics of the so-called basic freedom developed in correspondence), discussion of the masterly critique of rationalist metaphysics and identifi cation of the main tenet of Two Concepts of Liberty, that is a warning against manipulation of the concept of freedom. Research into Berlin’s doctrine of freedom is carried out in a broad polemical context. A special stress is put on the surprising relevance of the allegedly outdated Berlin’s reflection and also on the significance of the pluralist movement initiated by him within the liberal tradition.
![]() | 60-polanowska-sygulska |
Keywords: liberalism · negative freedom · positive freedom · ethical pluralism · rationalist metaphysics
The journal founded by Leszek Kołakowski, Bronisław Baczko and Jan Garewicz appears continuously since 1957.