Description

Here is how this book was presented at the time of the 1955 publication by Vintage Books of the English translation from the original Polish first edition of 1953 (reproduced from the 2022 Kindle version).

This urgent message to the West on the Communist mentality and the tragic moral and intellectual condition of the men and women who live under Communism is at once fascinating and frightening.

Milosz describes the moral and psychological consequences of the official philosophy of dialectical materialism, which today is being rigidly imposed on the minds of some eight hundred million people behind the Iron Curtain.

That these consequences are much more complex and far-reaching than is usually thought is convincingly demonstrated. The Captive Mind is a disturbing book for the picture of spiritual slavery it unfolds. But it is also a hopeful book, for it shows that however total the mastery of the new faith over men’s minds may appear to be, there remains an irreducible core of resistance to evil and complete capitulation. It is a profoundly interesting human document as well as a major contribution to our understanding of the totalitarian mentality.

Published by Vintage Books, Inc.
Reprinted by arrangement with Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.
First Edition, June 1953

You are invited to discuss this book at the virtual meeting of the Book Club on Wednesday, November 30, from 12:30 to 2:30PM.

This is a private, alumni-only, off-the-record discussion. The views and opinions expressed in this program are those of the speakers and participants and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of The Harvard Business School Club.

Participants must register by NOON on November 29th to receive details on joining the discussion. The Zoom link will be sent out 24 hours before the event.