Leszek Kolakowski Quotes on Justice
Leszek Kolakowski was a Polish philosopher and the most influential critic of Marxism from within the Marxist tradition. This page collects quotes attributed to Leszek Kolakowski on the topic of justice, drawn from across the philosopher's works.
Quotes
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Attributed to Leszek Kolakowski:
“Total justice is total tyranny.”
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“...shall we say that the difference between a vegetarian and a cannibal is just a matter of taste?”
The Idolatry of Politics", New Republic, 1986-June-16, page 31. -
“Communism was not the crazy fantasy of a few fanatics, nor the result of human stupidity and baseness; it was a real, very real part of the history of the twentieth century , and we cannot understand this history of ours without understanding communism. We cannot get rid of this specter by saying it was just “human stupidity,” or “human corruptibility.” The specter is stronger than the spells we cast on it. It might come back to life.”
Introduction to My Correct Views on Everything -
“The cultural atmosphere of Russia in those years had an adolescent quality, common to all periods of revolution: the belief that life is just beginning, that the future is unlimited, and that mankind is no longer bound by the shackles of history. (pg. 47)”
Three Volume edition