The Hedgehog and the Fox

Isaiah Berlin, in his classic essay "The Hedgehog and the Fox," describes the difference between two visions of the world, those of the monist and the pluralist. He relates these two viewpoints to those of a fox and hedgehog by borrowing from the Greek poet Archilochus who said, "The fox knows many things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing." The hedgehog (the monist) needs only one principle that directs its approach to life. The fox (the pluralist) pursues many ideas, often accepting equally valid but mutually incompatible views on life.