Isaiah Berlin

Sir Isaiah Berlin, OM (English: Sir Isaiah Berlin, June 6, 1909 - November 5, 1997) was a Russian-British social and political theorist, philosopher, and historian of ideas. Although Berlin opposed writing for publication, his speeches and conversations were often recorded and published. Berlin's works on liberal theory and value pluralism, as well as his criticism of Marxism and communism, had an important influence on subsequent ideological trends. Isaiah Berlin was born in 1909 in Riga, the capital of Latvia (then part of the Russian Empire). He moved to Petrograd (now St. Petersburg) when he was 6 years old, and witnessed the 1917 Russian Revolution here. In 1921, Berlin moved to England with his family. He was educated at St. Paul's School in London, and then entered Corpus Christi College, Oxford University, to study classical literature. In 1932, at the age of 23, Berlin won a scholarship to All Souls College, Oxford University. In addition to his personal writing, he also translated the works of Ivan Turgenev into English. During World War II, Berlin joined the British Foreign Office. From 1957 to 1967, Berlin served as Chichel Professor of Social and Political Theory at Oxford University. He was president of the Aristotelian Society in London from 1963 to 1964. In 1966, Berlin co-founded Wolfson College, Oxford University, and became its first dean. Berlin was awarded the Order of the British Empire in 1946, a knighthood in 1957, and an Order of Merit in 1971. He served as President of the British National Academy from 1974 to 1978. In 1979, Berlin received the Jerusalem Prize for his consistent defense of civil liberties. On November 25, 1994, Berlin received an honorary Doctor of Laws from the University of Toronto. He prepared a brief creed for the award, which was later called the "Message to the 21st Century." Isaiah Berlin-themed lectures are organized every year at Hampstead Synagogue in London, Wolfson College of Oxford University, the British National Academy and the Latvian city of Riga.