Leszek Kolakowski

Leszek Kołakowski (1927–2009) was a Polish philosopher, historian of ideas, and essayist, known for his criticism of Marxism, research into intellectual history, and philosophy of religion. He was born in Radom and studied philosophy at the University of Łódź. At first he was a Marxist, but over time he became one of the most prominent critics of the communist regime, which is why he emigrated from Poland in 1968. He taught at prestigious institutions such as Oxford, Yale and Berkeley.

His most important work, Main Currents of Marxism (1976), analyzes the history and failures of Marxist thought. He has also written a number of philosophical and historiographical works, including "If God Is Absent", where he explores the role of religion in contemporary society, and "Mini Lectures on Maxi Matters", a collection of essays on philosophical and cultural topics.

Kołakowski has received a number of prestigious awards, including the Erasmus Award and the Kluge Award. He is considered one of the most important philosophers of the 20th century, who influenced contemporary political and philosophical thought. In his 1986 Jefferson Lecture, he argued that we should "study history not to know how to behave or how to succeed, but to know who we are."