Isaiah Berlin. Historical inevitability. Free choice. Libertarianism. Historical determinism. History and morality
Resumo
Isaiah Berlin famously attacked a view he called historical inevitability. He believed that a causal view of history entails the adoption of an extreme deterministic position – a kind of determinism which would rule out the possibility of free will, turning moral responsibility a notion void of meaning. His thesis was also based on the assumption that historians are not just chroniclers of the past but need to engage in moral judgments; therefore should determinism hold true of our world, our moral language – and consequently much of our historical language – would need to undergo serious revision. In this brief article we look in some detail at the arguments offered by Berlin in support of his thesis and offer criticism.
Biografia do Autor
Alexander Maar, Universidade Estadual de Londrina
Doutor em filosofia pela Universidade de Auckland, Nova Zelândia. Professor colaborador junto ao departamento de filosofia da UEL. Áreas de pesquisa: Epistemologia, Metafísica e História da Filosofia (Moderna e Contemporânea).
