Liberal minds : a comparison of the political thought of Raymond Aron and Isaiah Berlin

Hatier, Cécile (2005). Liberal minds : a comparison of the political thought of Raymond Aron and Isaiah Berlin. University of Birmingham. Ph.D.

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Abstract

The political thought of Isaiah Berlin and Raymond Aron has often been juxtaposed. Yet no systematic comparison of their oeuvres has ever been undertaken. As such, the thesis seeks to redress this omission, by constructing a dialogue between the two thinkers, on the basis both of their work and of the relevant secondary literatures. This dialogue is organised around a series of themes which, it is argued, are highly significant to the concerns of liberal political philosophy and, indeed, fundamental to the thought of Berlin and Aron: the philosophy of history, totalitarianism, the concepts of liberty and nationalism.
The aims of the study, accordingly, are threefold. In the first place, it is intended that a deeper appreciation be gained of the thought of Berlin and Aron respectively. Second, it is anticipated that a greater understanding be derived of liberalism as it has developed in twentieth-century political thought. Lastly, it is expected also that the comparative analysis of Berlin and Aron say something substantive regarding the nature of liberal commitments in politics.
The central claim of the thesis resides in the following. On the basis of the comparative analysis of Berlin and Aron’s work, an opposition is constructed between what are identified as different liberal ‘modes of thinking’. In this sense, it is argued that Berlin’s thought is representative of a ‘liberalism of uncertainties’ while Aron’s thought, by contrast, is characteristic of a ‘combative liberalism’. In turn, this opposition gives succinct expression to the implications of the thesis with regard to its three aims. First, it places - at the centre of the proper interpretation of their thought - the ‘tragic vision’ in Isaiah Berlin and the imperative to ‘think politically’ in Raymond Aron. Second, Berlin and Aron’s engagement with a series of twentieth-century events and problems is used both to remind, and to demonstrate, that the foundations of liberalism are fragile and inherently unstable. Third, the contrast in the differing temperaments of Berlin and Aron is used to draw attention to the indeterminate nature of the commitments of liberal theorists; in this regard, the opposition captures the pull toward ‘reflection’ in the case of Berlin and, more decisively, toward ‘action’ in Aron.

Type of Work:

Thesis (Doctorates > Ph.D.)

Award Type:

Doctorates > Ph.D.

Supervisor(s):