Name: Captive Mind
ISBN: 9780140081299

Captive Mind

The Captive Mind begins with a discussion of the novel Insatiability by Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz and its plot device of Murti-Bing pills, which are used as a metaphor for dialectical materialism, but also for the deadening of the intellect caused by consumerism in Western society. The second chapter considers the way in which the West was seen at the time by residents of Central and Eastern Europe, while the third outlines the practice of Ketman, the act of paying lip service to authority while concealing personal opposition, describing seven forms applied in the people's democracies of mid-20th century Europe.The four chapters at the heart of the book then follow, each a portrayal of a gifted Polish man who capitulated, in some fashion, to the demands of the Communist state. They are identified only as Alpha, the Moralist; Beta, The Disappointed Lover; Gamma, the Slave of History; and Delta, the Troubadour. However, each of the four portraits were easily identifiable: Alpha is Jerzy Andrzejewski, Beta is Tadeusz Borowski, Gamma is Jerzy Putrament and Delta is Konstanty Ildefons Gałczyński.The book moves toward its climax with an elaboration of "enslavement through consciousness" in the penultimate chapter and closes with a pained and personal assessment of the fate of the Baltic nations in particular.

What Hacker News says

taway_1212Jul 2017

The title should be changed - it's about Czeslaw Milosz, not Oscar.

BTW, anyone who wants to experience some true literary and intellectual bliss, try Czeslaw Milosz's books and essays ("Captive Mind", "Native Realm", "Visions from the San Francisco Bay" or many others). Even his biography is utterly fascinating - it feels like he has experienced more during his lifetime than a dozen of your typical first-world pampered and bored office dwellers.

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codybNov 2015

I've always thought that with automation, increasing population, and globalozation we would need something akin to the universal basic income.

The question becomes, does that just exist for Western societies or for the entire world?

I didn't read the entire article but it struck me to point out that "The Captive Mind" by Czeslaw Milosz is extremely relevant here.

While the USSR was no wonderful place to be, artists tended to be happy there, because even if they were forced to "art" in a particular sense, the USSR recognized art as a fundamental human right and dignity. Compared to capitalism where people were starving just to make it.

I've had a few drinks, but I absolutely recommend "The Captive Mind" to anyone interested in this sort of sociatal interaction. The part where society collapses (the USSR) and all of the "secret" papers are spilling on to the street will open your mind.

At least it did mine. When it comes to gold, silver, or secrets, if they can't feed you, clothe you, or shelther you, when things break down, they're not worth shit.

This is my spurious comment of the night. Check that novel out. "A Captive Mind".

I'm for a universal basic income. I'm a socialist for essentials, a libertarian for personal liberties, and a capitalist for the rest. I couldn't make it through that entire article. All downvotes are deserved.

Cheers.

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lizelfmanAug 2013

I appreciate Stross too, he always reminds me of The Captive Mind by Czeslaw Milosz... "the writer's essential task – to look at the world from his own independent viewpoint, to tell the truth as he sees it, and so to keep watch and ward in the interest of society as a whole." I think this quotation applies to the article he was writing, and I found this both chilling and liberating.

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h0mEDwJan 2019

Well, by thorough I simply meant not skipping any part. And those horrible parts of scriptures from religions originating from middle east (Judaism, Christianity, Islam) really cannot be sensibly interpreted in any metaphoric way unless by skipping it. A common way to do it is by saying "this is very specific code that was only relevant in societies back then; we're wise to not follow it now". But that's just skipping with extra steps.

Edit: just to make sure it's clear - I'm very happy when such skipping happens. A quote from Captive Mind by Czeslaw Milosz:

> When someone is honestly 55% right, that’s very good and there’s no use wrangling. And if someone is 60% right, it’s wonderful, it’s great luck, and let him thank God. But what’s to be said about 75% right? Wise people say this is suspicious. Well, and what about 100% right? Whoever say he’s 100% right is a fanatic, a thug, and the worst kind of rascal.

> By “an old Jew of Galicia”.

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