Value pluralism as a support to liberalism: Rebuilding Berlin's bridge.

Abstract

Isaiah Berlin's notion of value pluralism has traditionally been seen as supportive to liberal political theory. In recent years, however, the idea of an implicit link between pluralism and liberalism has come into question, with some commentators arguing that pluralism in fact presents obstacles to liberalism. In the wake of such criticisms, this thesis proposes a new version of value pluralism, and argues that it is supportive of liberalism. In chapter one, the different strands of pluralism in Berlin's thought are discussed. In chapter two the case is made for "internal pluralism," (the notion that values can come into incommensurable conflict within the self, but not, as Berlin and others believed, on a social level), and how it can support liberalism. Chapter three engages Berlin's critics and arguing that internal pluralism does not suffer from the failings that the traditional notion of value pluralism does.