erazim kohák (21 may 1933 – 8 february 2020) was czech philosopher and writer. he was born in prague. after communists took over czechoslovakia in 1948, his family escaped to the united states. he also worked at gustavus adolphus college and boston university (professor in 1977). after the velvet revolution in 1989, he returned to czechoslovakia to become a professor at charles university in prague.