The hedgehog and the fox
1901
Berlin examines Leo Tolstoy's philosophy of history through the metaphor of the hedgehog (who knows one big thing) versus the fox (who knows many things), arguing that Tolstoy was by nature a fox who believed he should be a hedgehog. The essay explores the tension between Tolstoy's pluralistic artistic vision and his monistic quest for a single, unifying truth about history and human existence.
HistoryKnowledgePhilosophyPolitical and social viewsCriticism and interpretationHistory, philosophyRussian literature, history and criticismRussian fiction, history and criticism