Imperfect past. French intellectuals, 1944-1956

"The Incomplete Past" by Tony Judt analyzes the influence of French intellectuals on European cultural and political life after the Second World War. Judt focuses on their reactions to communism and their efforts to maintain radical beliefs despite the apparent hypocrisy of Stalin's USSR and the communist regimes of Eastern Europe. He interprets these dilemmas as an unfinished story, believing that intellectuals have not come to terms with the "moral irresponsibility" that has negatively affected the cultural position of France.

Judt built an academic career in the much narrower field of French history. Actually, he was a representative of the respected discipline of French Studies in English-language science, which was distinguished by leading specialists such as Eugen Weber, Alistair Horne, Stanley Hoffmann, Robert Paxton, Richard Cobb, Robert Darnton, Maurice Larkin, Robert Gildea, Andrew Shannan and Jeremy Jennings. . Tony Judt, an expert on the French left, also shone in this constellation. His "Post-War" was the first step towards a broader theme, while the first Ukrainian edition of "The Incomplete Past" (1992) provides an opportunity to see Jadt at his core.

It may seem to the Ukrainian reader that the topic of French intellectuals and their attitude to Stalinism has lost its relevance, but Jadt shows that these issues have parallels with modernity. A poor understanding of history enabled French intellectuals to accept and justify a repressive regime and sacrifice the peoples of Central Europe to it. In today's context, when a similar threat may re-emerge on the continent, the book is even more relevant than it was in 1992. Intellectuals, as a social group, still shape public opinion, and their erroneous conclusions can once again endanger public ideals.

Translator (from English) - Halyna Gerasim.