Sidney Hook

Sidney Hook (Brooklyn, 1902 – Stanford, 1989) was an American philosopher in the pragmatist tradition, known for his work on the philosophy of history, education, political theory and ethics. After a Marxist youth, he became one of the most vocal critics of totalitarianism, both fascist and communist, from the standpoint of a democratic socialist.

He studied at the City College of New York and earned his doctorate at Columbia University under John Dewey, whose thinking shaped much of his own. He taught philosophy at New York University, where he later led the department, and at the New School for Social Research. Early on he was a recognised authority on Karl Marx, but he broke with communism in 1933 and, through the Great Depression and the Cold War, became a leading anti-communist. His books include Toward the Understanding of Karl Marx (1933) and The Hero in History (1943), in which he argued that history is not predetermined and that individuals can shape its course, especially in moments of crisis. His influence can be seen in debates on academic freedom and in the defence of liberal democracy against extremes of left and right.