This title represents the fruit of nearly 15 years of discussion - in person and by letter - between world-famous philosopher, Isaiah Berlin (1909-1997) and Dr. Beata Polonowska-Sygulska of Jagiellonian University in Cracow, Poland. Berlin always felt a special affinity for scholars of Eastern Europe, and the unique chemistry between him and his younger enthusiast for his ideas yielded a remarkable body of material, most of it hitherto unpublished. The book sheds considerable light on Berlin's thinking, clarifying some of the central themes of his philosophy. The book concludes with a collection of articles on Berlin's thoughts by Dr. Polanowska-Sygulska, stemming from her long-standing immersion in his work. Berlin himself thoroughly discussed three of these with the author and approved their publication. This fascinating collection of letters, conversations and articles will be of the greatest interest to students and scholars of one of the 20th century's most renowned intellectuals.

大哲伯林和波兰女学者长达15年的讨论，内容涉及伯林思想的许多重大问题，如自由观和文化多元论，兼及他对童年和青年时代的回忆。在一封致这位女学者的信中，伯林写道：“我此前从未如此清晰地表达自己，我确信。”伯林文集的编辑亨利·哈代为本书写了序言。