Isaiah Berlin: A Life — 19: Epilogue

1. 1. Isaiah Berlin believed his life was the opposite of his views: he didn't make painful choices, though he argued all choice is painful.
2. 2. Berlin identified three strands in his identity: Russian, English, and Jewish, braided into a single skein.
3. 3. Berlin was a two-state Zionist, committed to Israel and to sharing the land with Palestinians, opposing the Begin and Shamir governments.
4. 4. Berlin remained a 'verificationist atheist' but observed Jewish rituals like Yom Kippur and Passover, valuing tradition over reform.
5. 5. Berlin thought life has no inherent shape; its shape is made in the living, quoting Herzen: 'one creates the song by singing it.'
6. 6. In his final weeks, Berlin dictated a public appeal for Israelis to accept partition of the land with Palestinians, making peace with his conscience.
7. 7. Berlin died on 5 November 1997 from heart failure after a choking attack while recovering from a feeding tube operation.
8. 8. Berlin's most surprising aspect of his life was that he lived so peacefully and happily through such horrors, the worst century ever.