

#1753
Mentioned in 14 episodes
The captive mind
Book • 1990
Written after his defection from Stalinist Poland in 1951, 'The Captive Mind' is a philosophical and political essay that explores the allure of Stalinism to intellectuals and the mechanisms of totalitarian control.
Miłosz uses metaphorical portraits of four Polish writers (Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta) to illustrate the universal human phenomena and attitudes towards totalitarianism.
The book critiques the philosophical systems of Marxism and Hegelian historical determinism, highlighting the internal longing for harmony and happiness that can lead individuals to submit to such regimes.
It also discusses the personal and psychological costs of living under totalitarian rule, including the transformation of 'free minds' into instruments of the state.
Miłosz uses metaphorical portraits of four Polish writers (Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta) to illustrate the universal human phenomena and attitudes towards totalitarianism.
The book critiques the philosophical systems of Marxism and Hegelian historical determinism, highlighting the internal longing for harmony and happiness that can lead individuals to submit to such regimes.
It also discusses the personal and psychological costs of living under totalitarian rule, including the transformation of 'free minds' into instruments of the state.
Mentioned by















Mentioned in 14 episodes
Mentioned by 

as a source of inspiration for her research, highlighting its exploration of the deterioration of social life under totalitarianism.


Rebecca Lemov

451 snips
#2322 - Rebecca Lemov
Mentioned by Niall Ferguson when discussing the fragility of civilization.

91 snips
#239 – Niall Ferguson: History of Money, Power, War, and Truth
Mentioned by 

as a Polish book about the arrival of totalitarianism in Poland.


Tim Miller

71 snips
S2 Ep1024: Anne Applebaum: Everything Is a Game to Trump
Mentioned by 

as a book exploring the takeover of the authoritarian mindset.


Tim Miller

51 snips
S2 Ep1015: Bill Kristol: The High Cost of Stupidity
Mentioned by 

when discussing the choices faced by US government officials in the context of Elon Musk's actions.


Anne Applebaum

41 snips
Anne Applebaum: Outside the Rule of Law
Mentioned by Robert Kaplan as a book he is currently rereading, highlighting its relevance to contemporary political discourse.

39 snips
The World in 2025 with Robert Kaplan: Finding A Way Through Permanent Crisis (Part Two)
Mentioned by 

as a guide to understanding the current political climate.


Eli Lake

23 snips
Kamala Harris and the Election of Laughter and Forgetting
Mentioned by ![undefined]()

, describing how Merton's book influenced Czesław Miłosz's outlook.

Paul Elie

22 snips
Paul Elie On Crypto-Religion In Pop Culture
Mentioned by ![undefined]()

as a book describing life in Stalinist Poland.

Daniel Pick

22 snips
Brainwashed: A New History of Thought Control
Mentioned by Cynthia Haven as another subject of her writing, focusing on his time in California.

20 snips
Cynthia L. Haven on René Girard, Czeslaw Milosz, and Joseph Brodsky
Mentioned by Jordan Peterson when discussing why people fell for communism.

15 snips
268. Live Not By Lies | Rod Dreher
Mentioned by ![undefined]()

in the context of the Russian regime's actions and the importance of acknowledging the truth.

Russell Moore

15 snips
A Little Help From My Friends
Mentioned by Chespao Miłosz in his first chapter, when discussing how the intellectual wants to feel like they are making a difference.

14 snips
Jacob Howland on the Crisis of Higher Education and the University of Austin
Mentioned by Ann Applebaum as a Polish book about the mindset of autocracy and fascism.

Anne Applebaum: What USAID's Absence Looks Like on the Ground
Mentioned by 

as a book offering a perspective on worst-case scenarios for America, drawing parallels to Cold War Poland.


Tim Miller

The Age of America is Over
Recommended by 

as a book that helped him structure his own work, drawing parallels to ideological capture.


Andrew Marantz

How social media makes us antisocial
Mentioned by 

to provide another perspective on intellectual conformity under oppressive regimes.


Eli Lake

Kamala Harris and the Election of Laughter and Forgetting (From the Honestly Archives)
Mentioned in relation to Hegelian sting, or to put it simply, veneration of historical necessity, has been well described mainly by Cezlat Mislos in The Captive Mind, which analyzes mechanisms of the communist servility of Polish intellectuals.

Pete Reads Ryszard Legutko's 'Demon in Democracy' - Complete