About the article
V.P. Potamskaya
In the context of discussing the monism inherent in Western philosophy, Berlin turned to the utopian ideal, which took various social and political forms. He noted that all the utopias that compose the Western philosophical heritage share similar elements: the idea of an ideal harmonious static society, attributing to all people an unchanging nature, determined by universal, generally accepted goals that have been fully realized. One of the common assumptions of most Western thinkers, as Berlin points out, is that the true answers are the hidden treasure, and the only problem is to find the way to it and create a society of truth, virtue and happiness. Berlin emphasized that the belief in the possibility of realizing the highest harmony is erroneous, and the concept of a perfect society and an ideal state is not only unrealizable, but also inconsistent, as human values cannot but contradict each other.
history, intellectual history, utopia, monism, pluralism