About
Leszek Kołakowski was a Polish philosopher and historian of ideas, born in Radom in 1927 and died in Oxford in 2009. A major figure of 20th-century critical thought, he is best known for his three-volume work 'Main Currents of Marxism' (1976-1978), which analyzes the evolution of Marxism and its totalitarian implications. Expelled from the Polish United Workers' Party in 1966 for his anti-Stalinist critiques, he was forced into exile in 1968. He taught at several prestigious universities, including Oxford, where he was a senior research fellow at All Souls College. His 1971 essay 'Theses on Hope and Hopelessness' inspired the dissident movement KOR and contributed to the rise of Solidarity.
* 1927-10-23 — † 2009-07-17
Major works
- Main Currents of Marxism (1976-1978)philosophical study
- Tales from the Kingdom of Lailonia (1963)satirical tales
- Conversations with the Devil (1965)philosophical essays
- The Presence of Myth (1972)philosophical essay
- Metaphysical Horror (1988)philosophical essay
Key milestones
- 1966Expelled from the Polish United Workers' Party for his anti-Stalinist critiques.
- 1971Publication of 'Theses on Hope and Hopelessness', which inspired the dissident movement KOR.
- 2003Inaugural recipient of the Kluge Prize for lifetime achievement in the humanities.
Themes
Critique of MarxismTotalitarianismPhilosophy of religionHope and hopelessnessIndividual freedom
Sources: britannica.com · loc.gov · press.uchicago.edu