Zygmunt Bauman

Zygmunt Bauman was a Polish-born sociologist and philosopher who was one of the most influential intellectuals in Europe. He was driven out of the Polish People's Republic during the 1968 Polish political crisis and forced to give up his Polish citizenship. He emigrated to Israel; three years later he moved to the United Kingdom. He resided in England from 1971, where he studied at the London School of Economics and became Professor of Sociology at the University of Leeds, later emeritus. Bauman was a social theorist, writing on issues as diverse as modernity and the Holocaust, postmodern consumerism and liquid modernity. He also explored the ethical and moral challenges of living in a globalized world, where human bonds and solidarities are constantly eroded and replaced by individualism and consumerism. He was a prolific writer, publishing over 50 books and hundreds of articles, essays, and reviews. He received many awards and honors, including the European Amalfi Prize, the Theodor W. Adorno Award, and the Prince of Asturias Award for communication and humanities. He died in 2017 at the age of 91, leaving behind a rich legacy of critical and creative thinking.