Leszek_NP1 Kolakowski_NP1 (_( 1927_MC -_- 2009_MC )_) I_PPIS1 heard_VVD Leszek_NP1 Kolakowski_NP1 lecture_NN1 only_RR once_RR ._. 
It_PPH1 was_VBDZ at_II Harvard_NP1 in_II 1987_MC and_CC he_PPHS1 was_VBDZ a_AT1 guest_NN1 at_II the_AT seminar_NN1 on_II political_JJ theory_NN1 taught_VVN by_II the_AT late_JJ Judith_NP1 Shklar_NP1 ._. 
Main_JJ Currents_NN2 of_IO Marxism_NN1 had_VHD recently_RR been_VBN published_VVN in_II English_NN1 and_CC Kolakowski_NP1 was_VBDZ at_II the_AT height_NN1 of_IO his_APPGE renown_NN1 ._. 
So_RG many_DA2 students_NN2 wanted_VVD to_TO hear_VVI him_PPHO1 speak_VVI that_CST the_AT lecture_NN1 had_VHD been_VBN moved_VVN to_II a_AT1 large_JJ public_JJ auditorium_NN1 and_CC guests_NN2 were_VBDR permitted_VVN to_TO attend_VVI ._. 
I_PPIS1 happened_VVD to_TO be_VBI in_II Cambridge_NP1 for_IF a_AT1 meeting_NN1 and_CC went_VVD along_II21 with_II22 some_DD friends_NN2 ._. 
The_AT seductively_RR suggestive_JJ title_NN1 of_IO Kolakowski_NP1 's_GE talk_NN1 was_VBDZ "_" The_AT Devil_NN1 in_II History_NN1 ._. "_" 
For_IF a_AT1 while_NNT1 there_EX was_VBDZ silence_NN1 as_CSA students_NN2 ,_, faculty_NN1 ,_, and_CC visitors_NN2 listened_VVD intently_RR ._. 
Kolakowski_NP1 's_GE writings_NN2 were_VBDR well_RR known_VVN to_II many_DA2 of_IO those_DD2 present_JJ and_CC his_APPGE penchant_NN1 for_IF irony_NN1 and_CC close_JJ reasoning_NN1 was_VBDZ familiar_JJ ._. 
But_CCB even_RR21 so_RR22 ,_, the_AT audience_NN1 was_VBDZ clearly_RR having_VHG trouble_NN1 following_VVG his_APPGE argument_NN1 ._. 
Try_VV0 as_CSA they_PPHS2 would_VM ,_, they_PPHS2 could_VM not_XX decode_VVI the_AT metaphor_NN1 ._. 
An_AT1 air_NN1 of_IO bewildered_JJ mystification_NN1 started_VVD to_TO fall_VVI across_II the_AT auditorium_NN1 ._. 
And_CC then_RT ,_, about_RG a_AT1 third_MD of_IO the_AT way_NN1 through_RP ,_, my_APPGE neighbor_NN1 --_NN1 Timothy_NP1 Garton_NP1 Ash_NP1 --_NN1 leaned_VVD across_RL ._. 
"_" I_PPIS1 've_VH0 got_VVN it_PPH1 ,_, "_" he_PPHS1 whispered_VVD ._. 
"_" He_PPHS1 really_RR is_VBZ talking_VVG about_II the_AT Devil_NN1 ._. "_" 
And_CC so_RR he_PPHS1 was_VBDZ ._. 
It_PPH1 was_VBDZ a_AT1 defining_JJ feature_NN1 of_IO Leszek_NP1 Kolakowski_NP1 's_GE intellectual_JJ trajectory_NN1 that_CST he_PPHS1 took_VVD evil_JJ extremely_RR seriously_RR ._. 
Among_II Marx_NP1 's_GE false_JJ premises_NN2 ,_, in_II his_APPGE view_NN1 ,_, was_VBDZ the_AT idea_NN1 that_CST all_DB human_JJ shortcomings_NN2 are_VBR rooted_VVN in_II social_JJ circumstances_NN2 ._. 
Marx_NP1 had_VHD "_" entirely_RR overlooked_VVD the_AT possibility_NN1 that_CST some_DD sources_NN2 of_IO conflict_NN1 and_CC aggression_NN1 may_VM be_VBI inherent_JJ in_II the_AT permanent_JJ characteristics_NN2 of_IO the_AT species_NN ._. "_" 
Or_CC ,_, as_CSA he_PPHS1 expressed_VVD it_PPH1 in_II his_APPGE Harvard_NP1 lecture_NN1 :_: "_" Evil_JJ &hellip;_... is_VBZ not_XX contingent_JJ &hellip;_... but_CCB a_AT1 stubborn_JJ and_CC unredeemable_JJ fact_NN1 ._. "_" 
For_IF Leszek_NP1 Kolakowski_NP1 ,_, who_PNQS lived_VVD through_II the_AT Nazi_JJ occupation_NN1 of_IO Poland_NP1 and_CC the_AT Soviet_JJ takeover_NN1 that_CST followed_VVD ,_, "_" the_AT Devil_NN1 is_VBZ part_NN1 of_IO our_APPGE experience_NN1 ._. 
Our_APPGE generation_NN1 has_VHZ seen_VVN enough_DD of_IO it_PPH1 for_IF the_AT message_NN1 to_TO be_VBI taken_VVN extremely_RR seriously_RR ._. "_" 
Most_DAT of_IO the_AT obituaries_NN2 that_CST followed_VVD Kolakowski_NP1 's_GE recent_JJ death_NN1 at_II the_AT age_NN1 of_IO eighty-one_MC altogether_RR missed_VVN this_DD1 side_NN1 of_IO the_AT man_NN1 ._. 
That_DD1 is_VBZ hardly_RR surprising_JJ ._. 
Despite_II the_AT fact_NN1 that_RG much_DA1 of_IO the_AT world_NN1 still_RR believes_VVZ in_II a_AT1 God_NN1 and_CC practices_NN2 religion_NN1 ,_, Western_JJ intellectuals_NN2 and_CC public_JJ commentators_NN2 today_RT are_VBR ill_JJ at_II ease_NN1 with_IW the_AT idea_NN1 of_IO revealed_JJ faith_NN1 ._. 
Public_JJ discussion_NN1 of_IO the_AT subject_NN1 lurches_VVZ uncomfortably_RR between_II overconfident_JJ denial_NN1 (_( "_" God_NP1 "_" certainly_RR does_VDZ not_XX exist_VVI ,_, and_CC anyway_RR it_PPH1 's_VBZ all_DB His_APPGE fault_NN1 )_) and_CC blind_JJ allegiance_NN1 ._. 
That_CST an_AT1 intellectual_NN1 and_CC scholar_NN1 of_IO Kolakowski_NP1 's_GE caliber_NN1 should_VM have_VHI taken_VVN seriously_RR not_XX just_RR religion_NN1 and_CC religious_JJ ideas_NN2 but_CCB the_AT very_JJ Devil_NN1 himself_PPX1 is_VBZ a_AT1 mystery_NN1 to_II many_DA2 of_IO his_PPGE otherwise_RR admiring_JJ readers_NN2 and_CC something_PN1 they_PPHS2 have_VH0 preferred_VVN to_TO ignore_VVI ._. 
Kolakowski_NP1 's_GE perspective_NN1 is_VBZ further_RRR complicated_VVN by_II the_AT skeptical_JJ distance_NN1 that_CST he_PPHS1 maintained_VVD from_II the_AT uncritical_JJ nostrums_NN2 of_IO official_JJ religion_NN1 (_( not_XX least_RRT his_APPGE own_DA ,_, Catholicism_NN1 )_) and_CC by_II his_APPGE unique_JJ standing_NN1 as_II the_AT only_JJ internationally_RR renowned_JJ scholar_NN1 of_IO Marxism_NN1 to_TO claim_VVI equal_JJ preeminence_NN1 as_II a_AT1 student_NN1 of_IO the_AT history_NN1 of_IO religious_JJ thought_NN1 ._. 
In_II 1934_MC ,_, Prince_NNB Scruse_NP1 moved_VVD his_APPGE family_NN1 to_II East_ND1 Chicago_NP1 ,_, Indiana_NP1 ,_, in_II31 search_II32 of_II33 a_AT1 steady_JJ job_NN1 ._. 
He_PPHS1 was_VBDZ employed_VVN in_II the_AT steel_NN1 mills_NN2 before_II finding_VVG work_NN1 as_II a_AT1 Pullman_NN1 porter_NN1 with_IW the_AT Illinois_NP1 Central_JJ Railroad_NN1 ._. 
In_II less_DAR than_CSN a_AT1 year_NNT1 ,_, Prince_NN1 and_CC Martha_NP1 divorced_VVD ;_; Martha_NP1 remained_VVD in_II East_ND1 Chicago_NP1 with_IW her_APPGE young_JJ daughters_NN2 ._. 
Because_II21 of_II22 her_APPGE polio_NN1 ,_, Katherine_NP1 became_VVD a_AT1 shy_JJ ,_, introverted_VVD child_NN1 who_PNQS was_VBDZ often_RR taunted_VVN by_II her_APPGE schoolmates_NN2 ._. 
