The Captive Mind is a non-fiction book by Polish writer and Nobel laureate Czesław Miłosz, first published in 1953. The book examines the intellectual and spiritual condition of the Eastern European intelligentsia during the rise of Soviet communism after World War II.
Miłosz argues that many intellectuals in Eastern Europe were drawn to communism as a means of resisting fascism and promoting social justice. However, he also contends that communist ideology ultimately stifled intellectual freedom and individuality, leading to conformity and a loss of moral and ethical values.
The book is structured around four portraits of prominent Eastern European writers and intellectuals who embraced communism: Jerzy Andrzejewski, Tadeusz Breza, Jerzy Putrament, and Konstanty Ildefons Gałczyński. Miłosz analyzes their work and personal lives, exploring the ways in which they were affected by the political and cultural climate of the time.
The Captive Mind is considered a seminal work of intellectual history and a powerful critique of totalitarianism. It has been translated into numerous languages and remains a significant work of Polish literature.
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