The Captive Mind by Czesław Miłosz

The Captive Mind by Czesław Miłosz is a classic 1953 work that analyzes how totalitarian regimes, particularly Soviet-style communism, compromise and control the minds of intellectuals.

Using his own experiences and case studies of Polish intellectuals, Miłosz explores the psychological and moral dilemmas faced under authoritarianism, introducing concepts like "Murti-Bing pills" to represent ideological seduction and "Ketman" to describe the performance of conformity while hiding dissent.

The book examines the allure of communist ideology for intellectuals and the various ways they rationalize collaboration or are compelled to suppress their beliefs, offering a timeless exploration of intellectual freedom and conformity.

Book Summary:

Written in Paris in the early 1950s, this book created instant controversy in its analysis of modern society that had allowed itself to be hypnotized by socio-political doctrines, and to accept totalitarian terror on the strength of a hypothetical future.