Where Do We Come from and Are Going: Essays on Totalitarianism, Human Rights, Democracy, the Philosophy of History, 1987-2026

Blending personal memoir with pivotal debates, this collection marks Charter 77's rich legacy in Central Europe's democratic revival. It traces a journey from private philosophical introspection under communism to evolving roles as activist, diplomat, professor, and passionate witness to history. This collection of texts, written between the 1980s and 2026, commemorates the 50th anniversary of Charter 77. Led by his participation in public debates between Charter 77 signatories and other residents of the community that restored democracy in Central Europe after 1989, veteran Czech diplomatic Martin Palouš believes that bearing witness is one’s duty, and that all testimony is important. Palouš’s meaningful encounter with philosophy, first within his family under communism, and later as a student of the philosopher Jan Pato?ka, led him to sign the Charter 77 Declaration and then become a “velvet revolution” politician, civil society activist, diplomat, NGO official, and, later, a university professor at Czech and American universities.