Nonfiction

The Captive Mind

The Captive Mind

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  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2022-07-14 03:41:57
  • Update Date：2025-09-23
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Czesław Miłosz
  • ISBN：0141186763
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Reviews

Richard Bicknase ，

This is definitely a worthwhile read with great relevance regarding certain current social dynamics。

Anna ，

Couldn’t be more timely。 But it’s really meaty and I think I need a COUPLE re-reads to let it all sink in。

Justine ，

3。5*

Sara Chrast ，

I had learnt how to read when I was four。 And I think that it may be possible that for the last fourteen years I was waiting for this book。 I was never really interested in politics。 But this book is about people。 This book shows you， that everything starts with a man who wakes up in the morning and looks in the mirror。 And this human being decides whether he wants to be honest with himself or not。 And Miłosz had decided that he will choose the former。 And I will be forever thankful for it。

Tyler van der Veer ，

‘The Captive Mind’ is Czesław Miłosz Anti-Stalinist philosophical and political essay that outlines the dangers of ideology。 Miłosz drew upon his experiences as an illegal author during the Nazi Occupation of Poland and of being a member of the ruling class of the post-war Polish People’s Republic。 The book attempts to explain the allure of communism to intellectuals， its adherents' thought processes， and the existence of both dissent and collaboration within the post-war Soviet Bloc。 Miłosz int ‘The Captive Mind’ is Czesław Miłosz Anti-Stalinist philosophical and political essay that outlines the dangers of ideology。 Miłosz drew upon his experiences as an illegal author during the Nazi Occupation of Poland and of being a member of the ruling class of the post-war Polish People’s Republic。 The book attempts to explain the allure of communism to intellectuals， its adherents' thought processes， and the existence of both dissent and collaboration within the post-war Soviet Bloc。 Miłosz introduces a plot device known as Murti-Bing pills: a cure for independent thought described in the dystopian novel ‘Instability’ by Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz。 The pills create blind obedience and contentment， Miłosz uses this as a representation for the intellectually deadening effects of extremist political ideology。 This suppression of individualism is evident to Miłosz not only through Stalinism， but on both ends of the political spectrum: communism disparaged the dignity of the individual over the rivalrous yet non-excludable ‘common good’ and fascism opposed individual freedom as it was believed to produced national divisiveness。 The proponent of these dangerous ideas accelerates the erosion of fundamental human values inherent to Judeo-Christian ethics and representative democracies that are imperative to explaining the complexities of the world。 It is only when a complex social-cultural system like religion （for which Miłosz was greatly indebted） is disintegrated do people tent to lean on ideology as so-called remedies to perfect it— “Men will clutch illusions when they have nothing else to hold onto。” 。。。more

Ilona ，

Parašyta 1951 m。， bet nei kiek nepasenusi。 Plati， gili， o kartu ir labai asmeniška。 Ir racionali， ir poetiška。 Teisinga。 Kaip juoda duona。 Tuo skanesnė， kuo mažesniais kąsniais vartoji， kuo ilgiau kramtai， niekuo negardindamas， tik savo alkiu ir patirtimi。 Paaiškina， kaip leidžiame ideologijai apsigyventi savo protuose ir lemti mūsų pasirinkimus。 Kaip ir kodėl ta pati ideologija atrodo iš rytų， iš vakarų， ir iš vidaus。 Aprašo ir apmąsto Rytų Europą ir jos "žmogiškąją medžiagą"， kuriai， kaip nesi Parašyta 1951 m。， bet nei kiek nepasenusi。 Plati， gili， o kartu ir labai asmeniška。 Ir racionali， ir poetiška。 Teisinga。 Kaip juoda duona。 Tuo skanesnė， kuo mažesniais kąsniais vartoji， kuo ilgiau kramtai， niekuo negardindamas， tik savo alkiu ir patirtimi。 Paaiškina， kaip leidžiame ideologijai apsigyventi savo protuose ir lemti mūsų pasirinkimus。 Kaip ir kodėl ta pati ideologija atrodo iš rytų， iš vakarų， ir iš vidaus。 Aprašo ir apmąsto Rytų Europą ir jos "žmogiškąją medžiagą"， kuriai， kaip nesisuk， vis tiek šimtmečiais tenka gyventi tarp kūjo ir pjautuvo。 。。。more

Clive ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 The author explains how socialist realism ate into the minds of Eastern European writers and artists after WW2。 Cancel culture is today’s version of this。 The process of self-censorship being the same。 The subjugation of the independent mind， gradually succumbing， submitting and finally surrendering to the accepted lines of doctrine。 It seems we take God away and the prevailing “ ‘ism ” rushes -in to fill the void。 In a loathsome and stupefying way。 The state cult becomes the God。 Providing the The author explains how socialist realism ate into the minds of Eastern European writers and artists after WW2。 Cancel culture is today’s version of this。 The process of self-censorship being the same。 The subjugation of the independent mind， gradually succumbing， submitting and finally surrendering to the accepted lines of doctrine。 It seems we take God away and the prevailing “ ‘ism ” rushes -in to fill the void。 In a loathsome and stupefying way。 The state cult becomes the God。 Providing the stage for a demigod like Hitler or Stalin。 Fundamentally you see yourself as an instrument of the state where previously you saw yourself， however reluctantly， as a servant of God’s truth; or at least of a higher， more noble truth。 For many people， the state’s crude truths are sufficient for their needs; even if it means their own self-destruction。 Resisting state orthodoxy makes you an “obstacle to progress”， and therefore part of a ‘problem’ which， in time， will require a ‘solution’。 People who don’t take vaccines， for example。Certain people should be got rid of somehow。 Like bad smells， germs or evil spirits。 So the community can be cleansed & purified。 This idea is as useful today as it was in nazi Germany， Mao's china and Stalin’s Russia。 The “Good Old Days” you might say。The book is a way of understanding modern authoritarianism。 It it not possible to swim against the tide even if you want to， you are after all， a minority of one。 We should not have illusions about this， especially writers。 。。。more

Laurynas La'Dieta ，

Puiki ekskursija po sovietų išprievartautas smegenis， detalus žaginimo ir priešinimosi tam metodų aprašymas， puikus perteikimas to， ką jautė tas， kurio galva veikė geriau nei sistemos archietktų galvos ir kuris turėjo daryti kompromisus pats su savimi。 Beje， kūrinį puikiai apibūdina žodis veikalas， tad tai mokslinio tyrimo vertas kūrinys， kuris bus per sudėtingas tam， kuris tingės skaitydamas įjungti savąsias smegenis。

Nick Meloy ，

A striking look at the mind of a writer who strived through totalitarianism。 This is a must read。

Therese ，

I listened to this as an audiobook， and I really need to go back and re-read my paperback edition of it， because Milosz's writing is often subtle and complex。 A lot of it is about his observations as a prominent poet subjected to the dictates of socialist realism in post-WWII communist Poland。 He describes the slow creep of both official censorship and， more insidiously， self-censorship in creative life。 While， as I say， I felt I was missing a lot of the subtleties by listening instead of readin I listened to this as an audiobook， and I really need to go back and re-read my paperback edition of it， because Milosz's writing is often subtle and complex。 A lot of it is about his observations as a prominent poet subjected to the dictates of socialist realism in post-WWII communist Poland。 He describes the slow creep of both official censorship and， more insidiously， self-censorship in creative life。 While， as I say， I felt I was missing a lot of the subtleties by listening instead of reading， it felt very relevant to the current era where the American literary scene feels more politicized with each passing year。 On the one hand you have your right-wingers trying to ban books from schools over content they deem insufficiently Christian or too focused on issues of race or gender or sexuality。 On the other hand you have your wild-eyed progressives canceling authors and books for such crimes as authors writing about fictional characters they don't resemble and depicting made-up events they haven't experienced （h/t American Dirt）。 All these book-banning conservatives and author-canceling progressives could definitely learn a thing or two from reading Milosz 。。。 。。。more

Patrick Kijek ，

Might be tough for most to read， but the similarities between then and now kept my interest enough to listen。 If you want political ammunition based on Polish folks during the last world war， you may be able to prepare for the next one， dialectically 🥹

Paul Hedeen ，

Part memoir， part philosophical and political study， Milosz's book details how a generation was swayed to support the unsupportable。 Given the "eyes wide shut" position of so many Russians （and American Republicans） now， studies of totalitarian thinking and control are relevant。 Right up there with Orwell， I'd say。 Smart， sensitive， and articulate analysis of the cold war from the other side。 Part memoir， part philosophical and political study， Milosz's book details how a generation was swayed to support the unsupportable。 Given the "eyes wide shut" position of so many Russians （and American Republicans） now， studies of totalitarian thinking and control are relevant。 Right up there with Orwell， I'd say。 Smart， sensitive， and articulate analysis of the cold war from the other side。 。。。more

Chris Middleman ，

Miłosz’s meditation on how people （for most of the book， academics） forced themselves to make an agonized peace with Soviet ideology in the aftermath of WW2 resonates today for readers who’ve seen friends and colleagues start speaking in strange tongues for favor in much smaller stakes。The text slowed to a crawl in spaces where the context was obviously more immediate at its publication， but Miłosz’s poetic voice makes other passages of horror and humility deeply affecting， ringing throughout ti Miłosz’s meditation on how people （for most of the book， academics） forced themselves to make an agonized peace with Soviet ideology in the aftermath of WW2 resonates today for readers who’ve seen friends and colleagues start speaking in strange tongues for favor in much smaller stakes。The text slowed to a crawl in spaces where the context was obviously more immediate at its publication， but Miłosz’s poetic voice makes other passages of horror and humility deeply affecting， ringing throughout time。 。。。more

Bjorn Roose ，

Czesław Miłosz， of zoals zijn naam in en op het boek staat vermeld Czeslaw Milosz （zonder die rare dingetjes door de l’en）， was me in alle eerlijkheid volkomen onbekend tot ik dit boek opraapte op de uitverkoop van een of andere openbare bibliotheek。Á décharge wil ik daarbij inroepen dat behalve dit De geknechte geest （in het Pools Zniewolony umysł） van zijn nochtans uitgebreid oeuvre （tussen 1930 – toen hij 19 was – en 2003 – het jaar voor zijn dood – bij mekaar geschreven） slechts twee boeken Czesław Miłosz， of zoals zijn naam in en op het boek staat vermeld Czeslaw Milosz （zonder die rare dingetjes door de l’en）， was me in alle eerlijkheid volkomen onbekend tot ik dit boek opraapte op de uitverkoop van een of andere openbare bibliotheek。Á décharge wil ik daarbij inroepen dat behalve dit De geknechte geest （in het Pools Zniewolony umysł） van zijn nochtans uitgebreid oeuvre （tussen 1930 – toen hij 19 was – en 2003 – het jaar voor zijn dood – bij mekaar geschreven） slechts twee boeken in het Nederlands vertaald werden: Dolina Issy （Het dal van de Issa） en Rodzinna Europa （Geboortegrond）。 Die beide boeken stammen， zoals De geknechte geest， uit de jaren 1950， maar zagen net zoals dat eerste pas vele jaren later hun vertaling naar het Nederlands gepubliceerd: De geknechte geest （1953） in een vertaling van Lisetta Stembor in 1984， Het dal van de Issa （1955） en Geboortegrond （1958） in een vertaling van Gerard Rasch in respectievelijk 1981 en 2005。Á charge geldt natuurlijk het feit dat Czesław Miłosz in 1980 de Nobelprijs voor Literatuur won en dat een béétje boekenliefhebber dus die naam zou moeten kennen zonder zelfs ooit maar één boek van de auteur in handen gehad te hebben。 Helaas ben ik （ook） wat dat betreft een volkomen waardeloze recensent。 Van de winnaars van die prijs heb ik， naast dit boek van Miłosz， alleen wat in huis van Bjørnsterne Bjørnson （ik besprak zijn Kleine verhalen hier）， Knut Hamsun （onder andere het autobiografische Langs overwoekerde paden）， Thomas Mann （Buddenbrooks）， Ernest Hemingway （van wie ik eerder Mannen zonder vrouwen besprak）， Boris Pasternak （Russische verhalen van deze tijd）， Jean-Paul Sartre （L’existentialisme est un humanisme; Het Ik is een ding）， Alexander Solzjenitsyn （een vijftiental boeken， waaronder vanzelfsprekend de drie delen van De Goelagarchipel）， Pablo Neruda （Canto General）， Heinrich Böll （van wie u hier mijn besprekingen kan terugvinden）， en Octavio Paz （Het labyrint der eenzaamheid）。 Wetende dat die prijs intussen al honderdachtien keer is uitgereikt een magere oogst。 Bovendien wist ik van geen van die mensen dat ze de Nobelprijs voor Literatuur gewonnen hadden tot ik het om een of andere reden ging opzoeken。Ook alles wat ik voor de rest weest over Miłosz ben ik echter moeten gaan opzoeken en de resultaten van dat opzoekingswerk zijn niet altijd helemaal wat je ervan zou verwachten。 De schrijver wordt bijvoorbeeld op Wikipedia aangeduid als “Pools-Amerikaans”， maar behalve dat hij Poolse ouders had， is er aan zijn geboorte niet echt veel Pools: hij werd immers geboren in Šeteniai， een dorp dat zowel nu als toen （1911） deel uitmaakte van Litouwen， dat toen al meer dan een eeuw deel uitmaakte van het Russische Rijk。 De etnisch-Poolse bevolking van het gebied bleef dan wel zijn taal en cultuur grotendeels behouden， maar gezien Wikipedia doorgaans nationaliteit en niet afkomst gebruikt als aanduiding， zou “Russisch-Amerikaans” of “Litouws-Amerikaans” correcter geweest zijn （toch zolang diezelfde “encyclopedie” bijvoorbeeld Frank Vanhecke， voormalig voorzitter van het Vlaams Belang， blijft aanduiden als “Belgisch”）。Nu goed， Miłosz arriveerde uiteindelijk toch in Polen， maar pas in 1937， een paar jaar voor de Blitzkrieg Polen zou inlijven bij het Duitse Rijk （als Generalgouvernement für die besetzten polnischen Gebiete）。 “Milosz had deelgenomen aan het verzet tegen de nazi’s” staat dan te lezen op de achterflap， maar dat “verzet” moet niet al te uitgebreid begrepen worden: hij publiceerde enige clandestiene literatuur， zat in ondergrondse schrijversclubs， hielp joden， maar werd nooit lid van het Thuisleger （Armia Krajowa） – volgens de Engelstalige Wikipedia naar eigen zeggen “ten dele vanuit een instinct van zelfbehoud en ten dele omdat hij het leiderschap ervan zag als rechts en dictatoriaal” – en deed ook niet mee aan de door dat Thuisleger georganiseerde Opstand van Warschau， omdat hij die zag als een “gedoemde militaire inspanning”， “een te blameren， lichtzinnige onderneming”。Feit is in ieder geval dat hij later niet alleen het Thuisleger de mislukte opstand verweet， maar ook het Russische Rode Leger， dat niks deed toen het daartoe de kans had。 Een gedachte waar hij mogelijk nog niet opgekomen was toen hij in 1945 cultureel attaché in de Verenigde Staten werd voor de nieuw opgerichte Poolse Volksrepubliek。 Dixit de achterflap: “（…） als zoveel intellectuelen meende hij aanvankelijk dat het communisme， dat tenslotte het fascisme had overwonnen， recht had op een totale inzet en loyaliteit”。 Maar “voor de problemen bij het opbouwen van een socialistische staat moesten traditionele waarden als vrijheid， democratie en tolerantie wijken” en Miłosz was per slot van rekening géén communist， iets wat ook zijn bazen in Warschau uiteindelijk door kregen。 Op het einde van 1950 werd hij teruggeroepen naar de Poolse hoofdstad， waar zijn paspoort in beslag werd genomen maar hem na tussenkomst van de minister van Buitenlandse Zaken terugbezorgd， waarna hij de wijk nam naar Parijs （iets wat door de “partijpsychiaters” uiteraard uitgelegd werd als bewijs dat hij “waarschijnlijk geestelijk gestoord was”）。 Van daar zou hij uiteindelijk terug uitwijken naar de Verenigde Staten （waar hij aanvankelijk niet meer binnenraakte omdat ze hem voor een communist hielden）， maar niet vooraleer hij onder andere dit De geknechte geest had geschreven。“Milosz beschrijft”， aldus weerom de achterflap， “in De geknechte geest wat de gevolgen zijn van deze geleidelijke uitlevering aan de totalitaire staat”。 Of zoals Wikipedia het zegt: “Het boek gaat over de verschrikkingen van het totalitarisme maar ook over de aantrekkingskracht die het heeft op intellectuelen。 Daarin merkt hij op dat intellectuelen die dissident worden niet noodzakelijkerwijs diegene zijn met de sterkste geest maar eerder diegene met de zwakste maag。 De geest， zo redeneert Miłosz， kan alles rationaliseren terwijl de maag maar zoveel kan hebben”。Die uitleg ben ik echter eerlijk gezegd nergens in het boek tegengekomen （van een goeie one-liner ben ik niet vies en deze zou ik allicht ook aangeduid hebben）。 In tegenstelling tot de uitleg Aan de Poolse lezer die de schrijver aan het begin van het boek doet: “De tekst die hij hier aantreft， werd niet geschreven met de gedachte aan hem， maar aan de buitenlandse lezer， voor wie Polen een van de vele landen is die door Rusland werd veroverd。 Door te spreken over Midden- en Oost-Europa in plaats van over Polen hoop ik een des te grotere algemenere betekenis te geven aan de processen die zich in ons land voltrekken。” Over dat “Midden-Europa” had ik het al eens eerder in mijn bespreking van Stroomafwaarts lang de Donau van Péter Esterházy， maar ik maak van de vernoeming in bovenstaand stukje gebruik om dit nog eens te definiëren: de grenzen ervan liggen ongeveer waar die van de omtrek van het Duitse Keizerrijk， Oostenrijk-Hongarije， Zwitserland en Liechtenstein in 1900 lagen。 Het omvat dus behalve Duitsland， Oostenrijk， Zwitserland en Liechtenstein ook Slovenië， Tsjechië， Slovakije， Hongarije （en de vroegere stukken Hongarije in Oekraïne， Roemenië， Kroatië en Servië） en Polen。 Bij vele mensen is echter – ondanks het feit dat ie toch een paar decennia officieel geëindigd was – de “definitie” uit de Koude Oorlog blijven hangen， waardoor Slovenië， Tsjechië， Kroatië， Hongarije en Polen nog steeds achter een soort van geestelijk IJzeren Gordijn en in zogenaamd “Oost-Europa” liggen。 Maar dát is niet iets wat Miłosz uitlegt aan zijn Poolse lezers （in zoverre die het boek daar achter dat Gordijn al in handen konden krijgen）。 Hij heeft het slechts over het gegeven dat het “soms noodzakelijk is ‘van de grond af’ te beginnen， wat vervelend kan zijn voor mensen die de feiten voldoende kennen”， dat het weinig nuttig is in de “portretten” die hij schildert op zoek te gaan naar de exacte persoon die ze moeten voorstellen， en dat hij… “geen afkeuring [kan] uitspreken over diegenen onder （…） [zijn] vrienden in Polen die van mening zijn dat het risico van de strijd te groot is en dat hun krachten slechts toereikend zijn voor het streven naar vervolmaking in het taalkundig ambacht”。 Per slot van rekening， zegt hij in zijn na dat Aan de Poolse lezer volgende Voorwoord， rijst ook de vraag waarom hij， “terwijl （…） [hij] ver afstond van de orthodoxie， erin berust （…） [heeft] een onderdeeltje van de bestuurs- en propagandamachine te zijn， terwijl （…） [hij] gemakkelijk – gezien （…） [zijn] verblijf in het Westen – had kunnen breken met het stelsel， waarvan de karaktertrekken steeds duidelijker aan de dag traden in （…） [zijn] vaderland。” Hij hoopt， aldus nog de schrijver， “dat deze vraag althans gedeeltelijk beantwoord zal worden door de veranderingen die zich voltrokken hebben in （…） [zijn] vrienden en collega’s en die （…） [hij] aan een analyse zal onderwerpen。”De geknechte geest is dus een portret van de intellectuelen in Midden-Europa onder en aan de zijde van het oprukkende stalinisme， maar ook van intellectuelen waar dan ook onder en aan de zijde van elk soort totalitarisme dat ergens de overhand neemt。 Ook dus dat wat in ónze tijden opgeld maakt。Het zou， net zoals het geval was bij De psychologie van totalitarisme van Mattias Desmet （ja， ik ben nogal bezig met die dingen tegenwoordig）， een té uitgebreide boekbespreking opleveren om op alle lezenswaardige aspecten van het boek in te gaan， maar ik kan wél meegeven dat je voor het lezen van De geknechte geest even lánger moet gaan zitten。 Zelfs al gaat De geknechte geest dus óók over totalitarisme， hoe het werkt en hoe （bepaalde categorieën van） mensen daarmee omgaan， Czesław Miłosz schrijft niet zo vlot als Desmet。 Aan de andere kant， zoals de auteur schrijft aan het begin van het hoofdstuk Murti-Bing: “Pas in het midden van de twintigste eeuw werden de inwoners van vele Europese landen zich ervan bewust – meestal op een pijnlijke manier – dat de ingewikkelde filosofische boeken， die voor de gewone sterveling te moeilijk zijn， een volkomen rechtstreekse invloed op hun lot hebben。 De portie dagelijks brood die zij aten， de aard van hun werkzaamheden， hun eigen leven en dat van hun gezinnen begon af te hangen， zoals zij konden constateren， van deze of gene oplossing voor beginselkwesties waaraan zij tot dusver totaal geen aandacht hadden besteed。 Een filosoof was tot dan toe in hun ogen een soort dromer， wiens uitweidingen geen enkel reëel resultaat hadden。 Zelfs wanneer de gemiddelde mens een of ander examen in de filosofie had afgelegd， met grote verveling， dan probeerde hij dat alles zo gauw mogelijk te vergeten， als iets dat nergens toe dient。” Hij heeft het daarbij uiteraard over het marxisme， maar wat daarvoor gold， geldt ook voor andere boeken， tweets， en gezeur in allerlei praatbarakken: er zit een filosofie achter （al zullen de schrijvers， twitteraars en “volksvertegenwoordigers” dat niet altijd als dusdanig beseffen） en het is beter te begrijpen wélke filosofie als je wil begrijpen wat de invloed ervan op je leven kan of zal zijn。Miłosz probeert uit te leggen hoe uitgerekend intellectuelen zichzelf vaak overleveren aan het totalitarisme zonder dat ze daartoe werkelijk gedwongen worden。 Hij doet dat door het in de eerste plaats te hebben over “enige centrale knooppunten in hun rijpingsproces tot het aanvaarden van Murti-Bing” - “De leegte， “Het absurde”， “De noodzaak”， “Het succes” – en in de tweede plaats over Het Westen en de kijk daarop van intellectuelen in Midden- en Oost-Europa （beide in de vorm die ze in de jaren 1950 nog aannamen）: “（…） wat gaat er om in de hoofden van de massa’s in het Westen？ Is dit niet een geestelijke slaap？ Als het ontwaken komt， zal dan niet het stalinisme de enige mogelijke vorm daarvan zijn？ Is het christendom in het Westen niet op de terugtocht en zijn die massa’s niet beroofd van elk geloof？ Zonder twijfel。 Is er in hun hoofden een leegte？ Zeker。 Wordt deze leegte opgevuld met chauvinisme， detectiveromannetjes en films zonder artistieke waarde？ Ja。 Dus wat heeft het Westen ons te bieden？ Vrij zijn van iets is veel， maar te weinig， het is veel minder dan vrij zijn tot iets。” Dat dat “Westen” intussen al lang niet meer is wat het toen was， moge blijken uit wat even later komt: “In zijn land [het land van “de mens uit het Oosten”， noot van mij] wordt iedereen benut die enigerlei bekwaamheden toont。 In westerse landen daarentegen heeft zo iemand maar geringe kansen。 De verspilling van talent in de westerse economie is ronduit ontmoedigend。 De weinigen wie het gelukt erkenning te vinden， hebben dat niet altijd aan hun vakbekwaamheid te danken， maar heel vaak aan het toeval。 Deze verkwisting heeft in de landen van het Nieuwe Geloof [het marxisme， noot van mij] een equivalent: bij de selectie geldt als criterium of men zich weet aan te passen bij de politieke richting; daardoor dringen de middelmatigen het gemakkelijkst tot hoge posten door。” Met enig pessimisme zou ik durven stellen dat we dat laatste in het “Westen” intussen alweer voorbij zijn en dat wat op de “hoge posten” terechtkomt， of het nu in de politiek is of in het bedrijfsleven， zelfs al lang geen middelmatig niveau meer haalt， maar het is hoe dan ook een feit dat het niet de rebellen zijn， de durvers， de andersdenkenden die nog een kans maken in het bedrijfsleven of de politiek: het zijn de vergadertijgers， de mouwvegers， de gatlikkers， de mensen die hun kazak keren als de wind van richting verandert， de corrupten en corrumpeerbaren， de delegeerders en délégués。Dat gezegd zijnde， blijft Ketman altijd een mogelijkheid: “De denkwijze van een intellectueel die onderworpen is aan de druk van het Imperium en de Methode， zit vol tegenstrijdigheden。 Het is niet gemakkelijk dit nauwkeurig te vatten， want we hebben te maken met een volkomen nieuw verschijnsel， dat niet in deze mate voorkomt bij de Russen （het heersende volk） noch bij de aanhangers van het Nieuwe Geloof in het Westen （die geholpen worden door hun onkunde）。 Geen enkele inwoner van de volksdemocratische landen heeft de mogelijkheid te schrijven of hardop te praten over deze kwesties。 Voor de buitenwereld bestaan ze daar niet。 Toch bestaan ze en ze vormen het werkelijke leven van de toneelspelers， die bijna alle mensen noodgedwongen zijn in de van het Centrum afhankelijke landen， vooral de vertegenwoordigers van de geestelijke elite。 De aard van de daar heersende verhoudingen tussen de mensen is moeilijk anders aan te duiden dan als toneelspel， met dat verschil， dat er niet wordt gespeeld op het toneel van de schouwburg， maar op straat， in het kantoor， de fabriek， de vergaderzaal， zelfs de kamer waarin men woont。 Het is een kunst die waakzaamheid van de geest vereist。 Elk woord dat men uitspreekt， moet voordat het de mond verlaat snel zijn onderzocht op de eventuele gevolgen。 Een lach op een verkeerd ogenblik， een blik die niet uitdrukt wat er uitgedrukt dient te worden – het kan de oorzaak worden van gevaarlijke verdenkingen en beschuldigingen。 Ook de manier van doen， de toon van de stem， een voorliefde voor bepaalde stropdassen wordt geïnterpreteerd als een symptoom van politieke neigingen。” En dan is de oplossing - zoals Arthur de Gobineau， uit wiens Les religions et philosophies dans l’Asie Centrale Miłosz citeert， schrijft – ketman: “（…） er [zijn] gevallen waarin zwijgen niet voldoende is en als een bekentenis kan worden uitgelegd。 Dan dient men niet te aarzelen。 Niet alleen moet men zich in het openbaar van zijn meningen distantiëren， maar ook is het aan te bevelen alle listen aan te wenden om de tegenstander te misleiden。 Dan moet men elke geloofsbelijdenis afleggen die bij hem in de smaak kan vallen， alle mogelijke ceremoniën verrichten hoe onzinnig men ze ook vindt， de eigen boeken vervalsen， gebruik maken van alle denkbare middelen tot misleiding。 Op deze wijze zal men grote voldoening verwerven en de verdienste， zichzelf en de zijnen beschermd te hebben， het kostbare geloof niet te hebben blootgesteld aan de walgelijke aanraking door een ongelovige en ten slotte， door de tegenstander te bedriegen en te sterken in zijn dwaling， over hem de schande en geestelijke armoede te laten komen die hij verdient。 Ketman vervult degene die hem beoefent met trots。 De gelovige bereikt daardoor een toestand van duurzame superioriteit boven degene die hij bedrogen heeft， al zou deze laatste minister of een machtige koning zijn; voor de mens die jegens hem ketman toepast， is hij bovenal een beklagenswaardige blinde， de toegang tot de enige waarachtige weg is hem ontzegd en hij vermoedt dit niet eens， terwijl gij， haveloos en half verhongerd， schijnbaar sidderend aan de voeten van de behendig misleide macht， uw ogen vol licht hebt， in glorie schrijdt gij voor uw vijanden uit。 Gij bespot het onintelligente wezen， ontwapent het gevaarlijke beest。 Hoeveel vreugden tegelijkertijd！”Voor het vervolg kan u hier terecht。 。。。more

zuzanka ，

Jakie to było dobre

Joseph Calce ，

A harrowing account of the groupthink required for Stalinism。 Miłosz's chapters on "The Pill of Murti-Bing，" "Looking to the West，" "Ketman" and "Man， This Enemy" should be required reading。 The "Man， This Enemy" chapter exposes the nature of dialectical materialism。 It has to seep into every aspect of life， and there can be no fracture within the Soviet man or within society。 This form of history is also incredibly reductive， boiling down history to general terms and ignoring individual events。 A harrowing account of the groupthink required for Stalinism。 Miłosz's chapters on "The Pill of Murti-Bing，" "Looking to the West，" "Ketman" and "Man， This Enemy" should be required reading。 The "Man， This Enemy" chapter exposes the nature of dialectical materialism。 It has to seep into every aspect of life， and there can be no fracture within the Soviet man or within society。 This form of history is also incredibly reductive， boiling down history to general terms and ignoring individual events。 This， of course， had the effect of the people viewing Stalin as the crowning achievement of life on the planet。 The force of History naturally brought Stalin to power in this illusion of complete knowledge that Soviet communists had。My main criticism of the book is the structure。 The content is fantastic， and at times， disturbing。 However， I think that devoting the bulk of the book to different anonymous people who eventually acquiesced to Soviet communism weakens Miłosz's argument。 It presents Miłosz as extremely judgmental， and it appears to ignore the reasons why he specifically avoided the allure of Stalinism。 This would be a far more effective book if it were issued as a series of broadsides or essays and the middle was omitted。 。。。more

Nico Bruin ，

The captive mind is a study of intellectuals in Warsaw-pact countries， so-called "People's democracies"。That may sound dry， but Milosz was not a political theorist by profession， Milosz was a Poet。This fact shines through on every page， what might otherwise be a purely theoretical subject is turned into something very real by Milosz's evocative writing。He really makes you feel the oppressive atmosphere of soviet intellectual life， and by being made to feel that atmosphere you are also being made The captive mind is a study of intellectuals in Warsaw-pact countries， so-called "People's democracies"。That may sound dry， but Milosz was not a political theorist by profession， Milosz was a Poet。This fact shines through on every page， what might otherwise be a purely theoretical subject is turned into something very real by Milosz's evocative writing。He really makes you feel the oppressive atmosphere of soviet intellectual life， and by being made to feel that atmosphere you are also being made to understand why people took the descisions they took， and why they thought the way they thought。 。。。more

Danny ，

Stalinism-seemed bad

Wyndy Carr ，

It IS terrifying how BLM， Wall of Moms/Many and climate change heroes/sheroes resemble the Polish， Baltic states， intelligentsia and artists’ Resistance movements and their destruction in Czesław Miłosz’s The Captive Mind， their demonization by Nazis and the Soviet Union’s authoritarian regimes during and after World War II。His “novel” was first published in 1951， six years after he survived the leveling of Warsaw， “almost a million inhabitants lost all of their possessions，” “a total of 650，00 It IS terrifying how BLM， Wall of Moms/Many and climate change heroes/sheroes resemble the Polish， Baltic states， intelligentsia and artists’ Resistance movements and their destruction in Czesław Miłosz’s The Captive Mind， their demonization by Nazis and the Soviet Union’s authoritarian regimes during and after World War II。His “novel” was first published in 1951， six years after he survived the leveling of Warsaw， “almost a million inhabitants lost all of their possessions，” “a total of 650，000 （people） were displaced， deported or sent to concentration camps”[i] and “Two hundred thousand people died in the street fighting，” （p。 94， The Captive Mind，） and/or were killed by 63 days of bombing， incendiary and SS squads in 1944， out of the previous one million residents of the city。 We could be tempted into violent resistance and crushed the same way they were， but by even more cruel and immense powers。“The ingenious methods by which the Stalinists isolate themselves from reality are amazing，” （ p。 237） Miłosz warns us from the grave， and his portraits of four writers seduced or forced to surrender their talents to The Party are chilling。 In an authoritarian State， “Everything， thus， takes us back to the question of mastery over the mind。” （ p。 197）“What is not expressed does not exist…。Whoever reflects on “man” in general， on his inner needs and longings， is accused of bourgeois sentimentality。 Nothing must go beyond the description of man’s behavior as a member of a social group。” （ p。 215） “This line of reasoning… ignores the facts。 The pressure of an all-powerful totalitarian state creates an emotional tension in its citizens that determines their acts。” （ p。 209） If we've been unwary， we have been massaged into that same kind of internal mistrust and fear。Miłosz introduces his chapter， “The Lesson of the Baltics，” with a reflection on “The rage one feels on reading sixteenth-century memoirs whose authors， mostly priests， recount the atrocities committed in America by Spanish Conquistadores …（We） cannot resurrect the Caribbean population slaughtered by Ponce de Leon， nor shelter the Inca refugees pursued through the mountains by knights fighting with faith and a sword…The historians do not speak of mothers’ despair or children’s distress…The civilization that calls itself Christian was built on the blood of the innocent…”[i]The shift in technology has moved forward however， energizing Miłosz’ desire that thour human knowledge and responses not disappear。 “A living human being， even if he （sic） （this includes Afghanistani women， children， elders， health care and education workers） be thousands of miles away， is not so easily ejected from one’s memory。” （GEORGE PERRY FLOYD！） “If he is being tortured， his voice is heard at the very least by those people who have （uncomfortable for them） a vivid imagination。 And even if he is already dead， he is still part of the present; for the man who killed him or who gave the order that he be killed is sitting down somewhere， at some precise point on the face of the earth。”[ii] The news cycle may have sped up in our era， along with the distortions and erasures， but those of us “who have…a vivid imagination” do not forget。And we must respond。 “There must be， after all， some standard one dare not destroy lest the fruits of tomorrow prove to be rotten。 If I think thus it is because for the last two thousand years or more there have been not only brigands， conquistadors， and hangmen， but also people for whom evil was evil and had to be called evil。 Mass slaughter， the terror of revolution， the craze for gold， the misery of the working classes: who knows what dimensions these flaws might reach if every man believed he must keep silent and accept？”“This way of treating literature （and every art） leads to absolute conformism… The creative act is associated with a freedom that is， in its turn， born in a struggle against an apparently invincible resistance。 Whoever truly creates is alone。” （ p。 217） “In rebelling， I believe I protect the fruits of tomorrow better than my friend who keeps silent。 I assume the risk and I pay。”[iii]“The invasion of the Spanish must have been an appalling experience for the Aztecs。 The customs of the conquerors were incomprehensible; their religious ceremonies， strange; the paths of their thought， impossible to follow。 The invasion of the Red Army was no less of a shock for the Estonians， Latvians， and Lithuanians。”[iv] Would Putin make it a "soft" invasion and takeover？ Is there such a thing？ Like "consensual" rape？ Do we have that sort of propaganda and power battle going on here， right under our noses？Imagine what it would be if “one-party rule” returns in the midterms; racist， sexist， authoritarian， violent and abusive falsehoods returning to the White House！ “Creeping fascism” has been with us at least since the 1960s。 Nixon's resignation just drove it underground。 We experienced four years of disaster which are not yet over。 Miłosz had to flee first to France and then to the U。 S。 to be able to tell us his tale。 “When people are divided into “loyalists” and “criminals” a premium is placed on every type of conformist， coward， and hireling; whereas among the “criminals” one finds a singularly high percentage of people who are direct， sincere， and true to themselves。” （Miłosz p。 209） These are the antagonists and protagonists in his "novel。" Like Charles Dickens’， their personae and problems are immediate and contemporary with this difficult， seemingly divided world。Capitalism creates fear due to want， competition， greed and materialist poverty in a pyramidic hierarchy; the intense pressure on the individual abandoned and isolated from others and thourselves， scrambling to “succeed;” but the flattened mass of totalitarianism under the thumbs of the 1% Party members perpetually spying on and manipulating each other is no better。 Under totalitarianism， “This way of treating literature （and every art） leads to absolute conformism…""The creative act is associated with a freedom that is， in its turn， born in a struggle against an apparently invincible resistance。 Whoever truly creates is alone。” （ p。 217） This is the voice of Miłosz ， a writer who won the Nobel Prize for Literature and said “The paramount duty of the poet… is to tell the truth。” How could we "tell the truth" if we're constantly awash with runoff from another silo right next to us full of lies？Four jounalists analyzed the “Effects of January 6th on Political Culture” on the PBS News Hour of the 2022 anniversary of the riot， but only one of them， Stuart Stevens， courageously called the insurrection “part of a larger autocratic movement in America，” people who feel they have an obligation to “overturn the will of the people” in such an extreme way that they are living in a “fantasy。”“You can’t negotiate with evil。 People who are evil， a person in the Capitol wearing a Camp Auschwitz T-shirt？ You don’t want to ‘meet with those people halfway。’ You don’t need to ‘understand them。’ They’re wrong。 People who believe in democracy are right。 You have to beat these Republicans and have more days like January 5th last year where you elect Democrats in Georgia。 We’ve had flaws in democracy for 30 years， but we need representatives for democracy now。 More events like January 6th will happen。”The 99% INCLUDES a guy I saw in Florida in a DEFUND BERKELEY T-shirt， duped into thinking an election was "stolen" so we fight each other while the oligarchs and Boards of Directors laugh all the way to the bank。tThe contrast between how DT， “his” Republicans and FOX News tear gassed， attacked， kidnapped， mass arrested， surveilled， denied and vilified the BLM peaceful protesters; yet used his militarized might; his coddling， elevating and encouraging of the deadly and dangerous January 6th rioters MUST GIVE US PAUSE。 It needs to be seen as a political culmination domestically parallel to recent Hungary and other democratic or neutral peoples’ and countries’ usurpation by dictatorial regimes like those of both Hitler and Stalin。 （As well as the "justified" invasion of Ukrainian sovereignty by Russia。）“If he is being tortured， his voice is heard at the very least by those people who have （uncomfortable for them） a vivid imagination。 And even if he is already dead， he is still part of the present; for the man who killed him or who gave the order that he be killed is sitting down somewhere， at some precise point on the face of the earth。"[ii] The news cycle may have sped up in our era， along with the distortions and erasures， but those of us “who have…a vivid imagination” DO NOT FORGET。[i] Miłosz， Czesław， translated from the Polish by Jane Zielonko， The Captive Mind， Vintage Books， New York， NY， 1955， [1953]， originally published by Alfred A。 Knopf （USA） and in Canada by McClelland and Stewart Limited。 p。 223-24。[ii] ----。 p。 224。[iii] ----。 p。 225。[iv] ----。 P。 227。 。。。more

Readius Maximus ，

This book is an variety of things existing together under one roof。 He touches on what it means to be a good artist， on the atheistic metaphysical vacuum of early 20th century Europe， and an analysis and exploration of the New Faith ie Communism。Maybe I missed something but I am not quite sure what to think of this book。 Solzhenitsyn spent almost 2k pages brutally demolishing Communism。 This book never really comes out and condemns anything。 He paints a very bleak picture of life under the Nazis This book is an variety of things existing together under one roof。 He touches on what it means to be a good artist， on the atheistic metaphysical vacuum of early 20th century Europe， and an analysis and exploration of the New Faith ie Communism。Maybe I missed something but I am not quite sure what to think of this book。 Solzhenitsyn spent almost 2k pages brutally demolishing Communism。 This book never really comes out and condemns anything。 He paints a very bleak picture of life under the Nazis and the Soviets and even the life in the West （which is why I can't believe there is a 2 star review blasting this book as US propaganda and belittling the author for appropriating different cultures experience）。 He also has no problems pointing out the failures of Christian medieval Europe or the colonialists brutalities。 In a way this is a very sad book。 It shows how lost people were before the war who were struggling to find meaning。 Showing that all the major institutions of Europe at that time were dead。 He shows how the Nazis and Soviets tried to fill the void but only succeeded in bring more misery。 And he shows how the West fails to fill the void。 At the end the only consolation he gives is in being true to art。 I wonder if the Soviets allowed him to be a true artist and didn't shove materialistic realism down his throat if he would ever have complained。 I think that's the main reason he left was to be able to practice true art。His insights into his friends and between the differences of Communism and Christianity are exceptional。 The way he impassionately points out the failings of the various cultures he experienced is remarkable and he lets his readers come to their own conclusion。 Man， This Enemy was my favorite chapter。 I underlined， wrote in the margins， and turned page corners so much in this chapter。 。。。more

Mimi Taylor ，

Although written some 70 years ago this bok offers great insight to the minds and actions of repressed peoples， painfully relevant to this day。 Analytical， precise and fear instilling， but never without warmth and respect for the human condition。

Dan Galloway ，

This book was beyond wonderful。 It felt a continual build up or frustration。 It’s descriptions of the impact and success of Stalinism read with sad acceptance， yet were interspersed with moments of unmatched poetic beauty。 The ending was so perfect， a release of the culmination of anger and helplessness in 250 pages。 The way it spoke of knowledge， human nature and art was incredible and innately evocative。 “It is sometimes better to stammer from anexcess of emotion than to speak in well-turned p This book was beyond wonderful。 It felt a continual build up or frustration。 It’s descriptions of the impact and success of Stalinism read with sad acceptance， yet were interspersed with moments of unmatched poetic beauty。 The ending was so perfect， a release of the culmination of anger and helplessness in 250 pages。 The way it spoke of knowledge， human nature and art was incredible and innately evocative。 “It is sometimes better to stammer from anexcess of emotion than to speak in well-turned phrases。The inner voice that stops us when we might say toomuch is wise。” Quite liked this one。Amazing amazing amazing。 So good。Thanks again saul x 。。。more

Kelly_Hunsaker_reads 。。。 ，

This is an incredibly intelligent and insightful book that I didn't enjoy at all。 This is an incredibly intelligent and insightful book that I didn't enjoy at all。 。。。more

Russel Henderson ，

This ranks with Koestler and Solzhenitsyn as one of the most perceptive analyses of Stalinism ever written。 Milosz introduces us to a handful of archetypes of Polish artists who have made peace with the new Soviet order， illustrating the different paths that they've taken。 His image of wartime Poland is one in which so much has been swept away that no return to a pre-war past would have been possible， but he laments the moral， political， and artistic order imposed upon Polish society by the Sovi This ranks with Koestler and Solzhenitsyn as one of the most perceptive analyses of Stalinism ever written。 Milosz introduces us to a handful of archetypes of Polish artists who have made peace with the new Soviet order， illustrating the different paths that they've taken。 His image of wartime Poland is one in which so much has been swept away that no return to a pre-war past would have been possible， but he laments the moral， political， and artistic order imposed upon Polish society by the Soviets。 Milosz's work is replete with cautions that apply to our world as well， and to any system of thought that reduces people to representatives of discrete groups resulting from historical processes rather than as people。 His is a humanist tendency， but in important ways it is echoed in most of revealed religion。 One can look at the modern academy and the acknowledgment by students and academics alike of self-censorship as a manifestation of the Ketman tendency。 Milosz borrows a concept from Shia Islam that he dubs the Ketman in which one outwardly manifests the necessary religious beliefs appropriate to his/her temporal rulers while maintaining personal sentiments and values that may differ sharply。 Of course one sees versions of this in any totalitarian society， especially communism， as ideological education cannot erase human nature， tradition， or individual experience。 But we are starting to see manifestations of this in aspects of our society that demand conformism， in which people undergo the necessary indoctrination and mouth the appropriate platitudes and sign the appropriate pledges while whispering in trusted circles what they actually believe。 Milosz can and should be read today as a clarion call to conscience and individuality， a humanism that rejects classification and the treatment of others merely as representative of a given group or characteristic。 And even though his original audience was quite different， and his stakes a good deal more lethal， it reads brilliantly as this too。 。。。more

Ashutosh SHUKLA ，

Of course， this got the author Nobel Prize in literature， couldn't go wrong with this one。 The book is related to the erstwhile Soviet Union（the Party） and the propaganda they used to disseminate， to discourage dissident， and to keep the authority of the party alive。It is very striking that whatever author mentions is highly relevant even in the technologically forward times of today（book was written in 1951）。 The author builds a story around his life and acquintances（anonymous） to show how diff Of course， this got the author Nobel Prize in literature， couldn't go wrong with this one。 The book is related to the erstwhile Soviet Union（the Party） and the propaganda they used to disseminate， to discourage dissident， and to keep the authority of the party alive。It is very striking that whatever author mentions is highly relevant even in the technologically forward times of today（book was written in 1951）。 The author builds a story around his life and acquintances（anonymous） to show how different kinds of people deal with an authoritarian regime， some get captivated by the propaganda， but others， like the author， play along and fly away in time。 。。。more

Shreeharsha ，

This is a book about the experiences of writers and intellectuals in mainly eastern Europe during the WW2 and the early Cold War。 It juxtaposes the thoughts， dreams and cultural aspects of people living under Stalinism and Nazism with the capitalistic governments of the west。 As with all translation， it is difficult to read and many points are repeated incessantly。 There are also numerous faulty analogies and， what I felt， incomplete analyses of culture and art and jokes in the soviet bloc。 I wi This is a book about the experiences of writers and intellectuals in mainly eastern Europe during the WW2 and the early Cold War。 It juxtaposes the thoughts， dreams and cultural aspects of people living under Stalinism and Nazism with the capitalistic governments of the west。 As with all translation， it is difficult to read and many points are repeated incessantly。 There are also numerous faulty analogies and， what I felt， incomplete analyses of culture and art and jokes in the soviet bloc。 I wish the author would have taken note of sarcastic soviet political jokes。 They are really funny: see https://en。m。wikipedia。org/wiki/Russi。。。 。 But I never lived under such circumstances so I won’t argue that point。 But overall， the main takeaway I got from the book is that Stalinism was just gaslighting and totalitarianism with extra steps。 I wonder what the author thought of people like trotsky as well who had at least a sliver of hope if their rule had come to pass。 And compared to our modern days， this feels so much like a ‘grass is greener on the other side’ situation or rather the soil is barren on both sides situation。 Lol。 。。。more

Yan ，

秩序的敌人⬅️最喜欢这一章

Stevan ，

Czeslaw Milosz give us in this book a very good understanding about how people in central/east Europe suffered continually with different regimes， such as the German Nazis or the Soviets。 You can understand and feel how people were manipulated by Soviet propaganda and how the Soviet Union Slavery real work。I also find very interesting is what the author calls the use of "Ketman"， which is how these people falsely pretend to like the new regimes just to survive。George Orwel 1984 book is an amazin Czeslaw Milosz give us in this book a very good understanding about how people in central/east Europe suffered continually with different regimes， such as the German Nazis or the Soviets。 You can understand and feel how people were manipulated by Soviet propaganda and how the Soviet Union Slavery real work。I also find very interesting is what the author calls the use of "Ketman"， which is how these people falsely pretend to like the new regimes just to survive。George Orwel 1984 book is an amazing book about Soviet Union mass manipulation。 But the Captive Mind book is deeper， you can feel， imagine， or understand it in a different way。Just remember that Christians were no different from Nazis， Soviets or Americans。 They all murdered millions， slaughtered cultures， for what they believed was the best for the world。？？ Or for themselves？？ 。。。more

Mark ，

"I could have wished that my life had been a more simple affair。 But the time and place of his birth are matters of which a man has nothing to say。"Thus begins this book which， though oddly shaped， was a powerful political commentary from a man who survived not only the Nazi invasion of Poland， but also the continued destruction wrought by the Soviets。 This summary of his life， which sounds almost like a punchline because of how amazing it is， apparently wasn't enough for one of the other review "I could have wished that my life had been a more simple affair。 But the time and place of his birth are matters of which a man has nothing to say。"Thus begins this book which， though oddly shaped， was a powerful political commentary from a man who survived not only the Nazi invasion of Poland， but also the continued destruction wrought by the Soviets。 This summary of his life， which sounds almost like a punchline because of how amazing it is， apparently wasn't enough for one of the other reviewers of this work， who， from a heavily dogmatic， intersectional perspective， talked down to him because he wasn't writing intersectionally （even though intersectionality hadn't been invented yet）。 It's this chronological snobbery which Milosz consciously avoids， and ironically enough， she gets mad at Milosz for the very reason he gives for NOT attempting to delve into the Aztec conquest （he only speaks about what he knows， and chides Neruda for glorifying the Russian communists， who were most certainly not worth glorifying）。 Unlike the above intersectional critic， Milosz actually lived through both Nazi and Soviet oppression， so he has the right to draw comparisons between them and for us to listen seriously。 Milosz doesn't fully subscribe to or refute the Horseshoe Theory， and it's nuance like this that we need more of。 Milosz points out beautifully how Stalinism/Leninism became a new religion， a materialistic abomination。 The spreaders of this new faith compare it to christianity （in how it was spreading rapidly at the time， mostly due to utopian promises）， but there are abject differences between the two。 Ultimately， communist ideology causes people and institutions， in its pure materialist "rationality，" to act very irrationally and to cause much more suffering than the supposedly irrational features of normal life （"Why won't the equation work out as it should， when every step is logical？" [hint， people aren't rational]）。 Also， communism failed dramatically in its propaganda; the early Christians were masters of propaganda （if put pessimistically）， while the Christians were able to start a theological revolution without a single military move。 It's only later， once Christianity gained control of the Roman （Byzantine） Empire that violence started being used in Christ's name （against his commands）， and it's this important nuance that was surprisingly missing from Milosz's account of the spread of "Christian Civilization"。 Perhaps there is something known as "Christian Civilization"， but it is Christian in name only， and Christianity proper can very easily be separated from these campaigns （unlike the religion of peace， Islam）。Milosz makes comparisons not only between Communism and Fascism， but also the Soviet communism of his day and the western capitalistic societies。 One notable difference is their means of control: communism is very direct and forceful， while capitalistic societies are more peer-pressure based， more indirect in their control。 Many postmodernist thinkers would find this more insidius; at least the commies （and for that matter， the fascists） were playing "fair"， so to speak; i。e。 you had clear-cut rules， you could found a meaningful underground resistance， and you went to a concentration camp if caught。 Undercapitalism， rebellion has been commodified， and it's very difficult to tell if there is any true rebellion left （other than perhaps living outside of the consumerist culture as much as possible， buying used instead of new， etc。）。 Just like capitalism's control of the consumer， our resistance to it also has to be indirect （which is why true rebellion is so hard nowadays）。 Thus so far is a mixture of the introduction， a reaction to someone else's review， and my own original thoughts。 Next， I'll go through in the order that Milosz did:Chapter I: The Pill of Murti-BingOne must either die， physically or spiritually， or else one must be reborn according to a prescribed method， namely taking Murti-Bing pillsRight off the bat， it was evident that this book was much more than just a repudiation of Communism or Fascism; it's an attempt at raising awareness of all sorts of means of control。 The above quote could just as easily describe the soviet state as the consumer culture we're trapped in。 I found the metaphor of these pills （from a dystopia book that Milosz had read） to be a little conspiratorial and not nearly as helpful as Huxley's "Soma"， but then again that book （Brave New World） has to be the best dystopian novel， better than 84 or any of these recent rehashings。This book Milosz is discussing also （I think impossibly） has no （spiritual） religions in it anymore， and though I beleive this to be impossible， I do think he is right when he points out later in the book that the material comforts brought by capitalism have weakened the hold of religion much more thoroughly than anything that Communism or any other authoritarian system could muster。 Partially this is due to Christianity's natural flowering in the Blood of Martyrs （as Tertullian put it）， but also because the main communistic approach was demonizing some priests/churches while clubbing the weak/liberal ones into state submission （we see a parallel of this with the ELCA/LCMS split， but thankfully the nation itself is also fairly evenly split， so neither has the real upper hand）。 Milosz also extremely astutely points out that the state-run one invariably dies out as it doesn't retain that vital power that orthodox religion has （which has been borne out by the ELCA's precipitous membership drop）。But back to the lack of a religion， the author of that book does make a good point， namely that devoid of a shared religion （which grants an entire nation the same ethical， philosophical， moral， societal， aesthetic， etc。 standards）， nations usually just have to find some dollar-store ersatz replacement。 "Religion has been replaced by philosophy 。。。 increasingly less accessible to the layman 。。。 whereas the peasants remained bound to the church， be it only emotionally and traditionally"。 Philosophy， as he just pointed out， however， doesn't work as a replacement， and neither does the romantic "art as the new god"， because that， as we've watched of late， has split into two main camps: exoteric pop culture （devoid of depth） and esoteric academic art （devoid of reality）。There is also an excellent observation （re-used throughout the book in his example cases） whereby one in a socialist society must eventually transition from a "critical realism" to "socialist realism"， from merely criticizing capitalism （which we all can do， yet remain capitalists） to approving of socialism。 Just a short bit after that， he describes the soviet state of things where the Russian "Center" overwhelms all other subordinate （satellite） cultures and allows them only a few tatters of their original identity， which is what it feels like today with "American" culture overpowering everyone and everything。Similarly， even in a totalitarian state， the utopian changes cannot be made overnight， and it takes generations for the religion to be wrung out of people （especially in light of being unable to wholly eradicate it; while it's in the open， it can be controlled， but when it goes underground it has a better chance）。 One more thing he drops in this chapter is an accidentally apt description of capitalist society: "Apathy。。。 that lives on in spite of feverish activity"。 The activity done in soviet and capitalist societies are only diffrent in flavor， not in essence; essentially， they are things to either， in the former， keep the state （god） on their mind at all times， and in the latter， to keep one's minds off of anything which may produce thought other than consumption。Chapter II: Looking to the Westare americans really stupidmarriage as little more than a formality （living together）fluidity and constant changeThis chapter starts off with the question "Are Americans really stupid？"， asked to Milosz by a comrade who was worried but also hopeful。 This despair mixed with the "residue of hope" is how Milosz described the soviets， and， once again， it describes most normies under capitalism （I say this because if about 90% of people who complain were even slightly self-aware or disciplined， they wouldn't have this issue; they would notice that they DON'T need to "binge" that show because it's popular， they DON'T need to share anything about themselves online， and that the most popular options are not the only options）。 These are very basic concepts to me， but to most people they are "untenable，" or worse， not even thought of in the first place。I'm partially convinced that Milosz was a time traveler （he described pride parades and the corporate pandering to LGBT）: "One can conceive of the day when a thoroughly self-respecting citizen will crawl about on all fours sporting a tail of brightly colored feathers as a sign of conformity to the order he lives in。" He also describes our consumer culture， which， unable to effectively commodify real feelings found in true art or true tradition， abandons and keeps the kitsch-y residue: "Everyone ceases to care about formalities， so that marriage for example， comes to mean little more than living together。"mentions how in the west you have the rule of law （where an individual has a solid chance to fight back， has to be proved guilty of a specific law， etc。）， but in both fascist and soviet societies， that doesn't exist; everything is to be done for the state， and you as an individual don't matter， only the perceived collective matters。 This， paired with the metaphor of democracy being a raft where everyone is paddling at the same time， goes to show some of the pros and cons between the two; totalitarian barges can steam ahead， but it's hard to turn， and they often run aground。 Likewise， their leaders are not slowed by any Magna Carta-esq considerations， and they can override anything （which they would see as a strength）。We get a redux of the "indirectness theorum" （that's what I'm calling it） whereby in capitalism， there is more often a disinterested scientific apparatus， one which actually discovers more than the soviet one， because most inventions are either accidental or incidental （to the original intention）。Milosz widely misses the mark when he notes that very few intellectuals took mass media （pop culture） seriously， as we are now plagued by Zizeks in all strata of academe。 At one point though， when discussing poetry and visual art， today's most unrelatable art forms， he tries defending them， but it rings hollow （a rarity in this book）。 He does rightfully point out how （prior to social media）， it was extremely hard for artists to make a living， but now， if the game is played right， artists actually can make it， whereas in the soviet system， they were all subsidized and few went hungry as long as they walked party lines （which is a unique way to destroy the soul）。 Milosz makes an excellent criteria for good art: "Probably only those things are worthwhile which can preserve their validity in the eyes of a man threatened with instant death"。 We all know de kooning， warhol， etc。 would fail this。 Perhaps Basquiat's "Riding with Death"， but little else of his would。I was surprised to find that not only were the soviets aware of 1984 and Darkness at Noon， they were disturbed by how accurate they were （at least the former's author had never lived in Russia）。 I was also surprised by how intensely their politics poisoned everything， not just art （which， because allegory could have multiple meanings， it was banned）， but their science also suffered。 Milosz mentioned Mendelian genetics which was rejected because it: [1] contradicted the dialectical interpretation of darwin's work， namely that darwin's theory was "merely" a reflection of the industrial age's pitiless struggle for existence under capitalism [2] it doesn't yield the results they want （？） [3] it could serve as a basis for racist theories （people better or worse based on genes）。 This is no different than the Nazi scientists who made use of whatever pseudoscience they could cook up to "prove" the inferiority of different peoples based on nose shape， skull size， etc。 I fear that this is continuing today， especially with the trans and abortion issues， to which discussion is precluded。Chapter III: KetmanThis chapter uses the islamic concept of Ketman （which I had heard of as Taqiyya）， where basically you can lie about your beliefs to avoid persecution （conveniently opposite of the forceful honesty of Christianity， where being martyred is a great honor）， and Milosz makes parallels with this in the communistic regimes。 Just like in islam， where the religion （communism） is strong enough， it can dispense of this trickery and openly proclaim itself。 Since the utopia was never realized， this farce， this acting had to continue the entire time the Soviet Union existed， and as such people got extremely tired out （but of course， there is still acting being done in capitalistic societies， but perhaps it's less strenuous）。Once again displaying the superior control mechanisms of capitalism （which exert less force but are more effective: "America has proved that mass communication is at least as important as diet in determining physical appearance"Milosz also speculated that "Perhaps the new faith is in indispensable purgatory。 Perhaps God's purpose is being accomplished through the barbarians （i。e。 the center）， who are forcing the masses to awaken out of their lethargy。 The spiritual fare these masses receive from the new faith is inferior and insufficient。"For the commies， a writer was a "civilizer"， not shaman or sorcerer。。。 where have we heard this before。。。Chapter IV: Alpha， the MoralistNext， Milosz started giving anecdotes to back up his conclusions， specifically in the shape of fellow writers who he knew back during the upheaval。 This chapter focused on a writer who slowly corrupted himself， one who went from a valued and respected patriot to a hollow soviet gong。 He had his shortcomings， like "living amongst ideas of people， instead of among people themselves"， but he wrote enchanting stories， like one about a tortured young boy who gives his friend's name under torture so he won't die alone， and his friend forgives him。"Forsaking Christianity， Alpha became a more religious writer than he had been before"Milosz wandered with alpha in the rubble of Warsaw， and they were aghast at the lunar landscape they saw。 They pondered "what traces remain after the life of a man" and "who measured his wisdom or madness"。There is an incredibly sad parallel between polish resistance fighters （who fought the Nazis before they pulled out） imprisoned by soviets （not unlike the soviets who were imprisoned in Germany and who， upon return to their homeland， were persecuted as "traitors"）。 Alpha wrote a novel about a soviet POW like the above， but with a happier ending。 He had "pity for the old communist， as well as those who considered him their enemy" （which made him an actually tragic writer）。 He got away with this because "it was too early to impose socialist realism"。 Alpha suffered because he wanted to write about suffering under soviet rule， noting that the amount of suffering actually increased， but he eventually caved to the pressure and published "self-criticism"， or a confession， which became a classic renunciation and was widely circulated。 He became known as "the respectable prostitute" by other writers。"One compromise leads to a second， and a third， until at last， though everything one says may be perfectly logical， it no longer has anything in common with the flesh and blood of living people"Chapter V: Beta， The Disappointed LoverBeta had no faith and killed himself a la Mayakovsky。 Along the way he witnessed the horrors of Auschwitz， but in a disturbing fate， he helped the Nazis strip the Jews， and he lived a relatively comfortable existence （as comfortable as it can be in the worst concentration camp to ever exist）。 Milosz called his stories the most terrifying that he had read about the Holocaust because Beta didn't moralize or comment on things， he merely displayed what happened。 One such story seared Milosz's mind:Of course it is easy to condemn a woman who would abandon her child in order to save her own life， this is a monstrous act！ Yet a woman who， after reading on her comfortable sofa， judges her unfortunate sister， should pause to consider whether fear would not be stronger than love within her if she too were faced with [this] horror。Beta encapsulated whatever broke inside of the modern man， and which leaked out the postmodern ink that has now stained everything we touch:He smiled contemptuously at mental speculation， for he remembered seeing philosophers fighting over garbage in the camp。 Human thought had no significance。He set up equations to express his anger and frustration at a civilization which could have produced the Nazis: "Christianity = Capitalism = Hitlerism"。 This politicization of his work crystalized and destroyed his work， as many attempts at politicization have of other authors。 Milosz points out that it's not political writing per se which is lacking， but dogmatism does。 Nonconformity in political writing， as Orwell points out， is the only way to revitalize political writing （true nonconformity， not just a new conformity）。Chapter VI: Gamma， the Slave of HistoryThis chapter was mostly unremarkable， mostly just mentioning how Milosz and Gamma were both wanting to rebel against the intelligentsia， despite being middle class students， etc。Chapter VII: Delta， the TroubadourThis chapter was about Delta， who was a playful and witty writer， one who wrote his thesis on an author who didn't exist， and who wrote dreamlike poems like "Solomon's Ball"， which I really wish I could find in English。 Honestly， this guy sounds a lot like a contemporary memer， replete with casual antisemitism and using unknown layers of irony。So unfortunately this review ran long， I'll put a comment with the penultimate chapter's review， and the final chapter was already covered in various ways by my introduction， so I'll leave it at that。 Thanks for reading， and see the conclusion in the comments below。 。。。more

Rebecca ，

A very interesting read。 We’re used to seeing heroes and villains， but here we see how one man compromised himself and how he made the choices necessary to survive。 Told with a poet’s ear for language and eye for truth。 His experience resembles the tales I hear from friends from former Soviet countries， we would do well to listen。

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Captive Mind

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Captive Mind&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Captive Mind&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0