So farewell then Leszek Kolakowski
Gazeta Wyborcza pays homage to Leszek Kolakowski, the most influential Polish philosopher of the XXth century who died on Friday. “He started and won the battle with communism, but he fought in a different way. He struggled with something he experienced, lived and for a short period of time even helped create” writes Gazeta columnist Bocheński. Kolakowski was the first to throw down a gauntlet to communism and suffered the consequences (he was forced to leave Poland in 1968) of his rebellion. “He was incredibly brave” – muses Bocheński and adds that Kolakowski had set an example for democratic opposition in Poland. “He remained agnostic until his death, but he has never been an enemy of religion, rather its friend. “In a country dominated by “Church opportunism” his wise friendship with religion, transcendence, sacrum was something highly unusual” – concludes Bocheński.
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