When an Anti-communist Analyses Communism: The Case of Jakub Karpiński (1940-2003)

• In Event: From Biographical Memory to Professional Expertise: Personal Experience and the Study of Communism

Abstract

In my paper, I will seek answers to the question of how Jakub Karpiński's "communicative memory" (A. Assmann), combined with his intellectual background, may have influenced his research on the Soviet bloc. In a broader sense, I will explore the universal problem of how active opposition to the communist regime can be useful for a solid study of the latter and to what extent the same factor can be a serious disadvantage or limitation, especially in the Western "academic field" (P. Bourdieu) during the Cold War.

Author

• Andrzej Czyżewski, Inst of Political Studies PAS (Poland)