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The Essential Marcuse: Selected Writings
The Essential Marcuse provides an overview of Herbert Marcuse's political and philosophical writing over four decades, with excerpts from his major books as well as essays from various academic journals. The most influential radical philosopher of the 1960s, Marcuse's writings are noteworthy for their uncompromising opposition to both capitalism and communism. His words are as relevant to today's society as they were at the time they were written.
296 pages, paper
First published January 1, 2007
About the author
Herbert Marcuse
230 books564 followersGerman-Jewish philosopher, political theorist and sociologist, and a member of the Frankfurt School. Celebrated as the "Father of the New Left", his best known works are Eros and Civilization, One-Dimensional Man and The Aesthetic Dimension. Marcuse was a major intellectual influence on the New Left and student movements of the 1960s.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
February 9, 2024
I have to admit that the problem may have been my limited familiarity with 19th century German idealism (and perhaps with philosophy in general) but a lot of Marcuse's essays strike me as rather dense. With phrases like, "The expression of man thus first tends towards alienation and his objectification towards reification, so that he can only attain a universal and free reality through the negation of the negation: through the supersession of his alienation and the return out of his estrangement", and "If Hegel posits the human essence as a "non-being", then it is the non-being of a real being and thus a real non-being," some of his thoughts strike me as mental masturbation.
But then, maybe I'm just dense.
The one essay that was quite clearly comprehensible was "Repressive Tolerance" which clearly advocates the suppression of ideas a neo-Marxist philosopher would happen to disagree with. Marcuse even goes so far as to say that the opinion of some individuals are worth more than a whole group of others. I find this very close to the altered law of the animals in Animal Farm: The original was, "All animals are equal". But as the pigs take more and more power, it becomes, "All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others".
I'm certain that Marcuse considers the opinions of Karl Marx who has gems like, "An objective being would not act objectively if the quality of objectivity did not reside in the very nature of his being", in addition, of course, to his own, worthy of veneration and those of philosophers like Adam Smith and Friedrich Hayek worthy of censorship.
Very similar to the progressive thought of today.
But then, maybe I'm just dense.
The one essay that was quite clearly comprehensible was "Repressive Tolerance" which clearly advocates the suppression of ideas a neo-Marxist philosopher would happen to disagree with. Marcuse even goes so far as to say that the opinion of some individuals are worth more than a whole group of others. I find this very close to the altered law of the animals in Animal Farm: The original was, "All animals are equal". But as the pigs take more and more power, it becomes, "All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others".
I'm certain that Marcuse considers the opinions of Karl Marx who has gems like, "An objective being would not act objectively if the quality of objectivity did not reside in the very nature of his being", in addition, of course, to his own, worthy of veneration and those of philosophers like Adam Smith and Friedrich Hayek worthy of censorship.
Very similar to the progressive thought of today.
August 4, 2020
From Kant to Marx to Hegel, this collection of writings by the mid-20th century philosopher Herbert Marcuse was enjoyable and thought-provoking. While many of the passages I had to read 3 or more times in order to understand them, due to phrasing, pacing, and use of words and concepts not familiar to me, I have now finished with a respect for this thinker, and those who came before and after, in critiquing the social and cultural framework of the Western civilization in which we live.
Although it took me over 3 months, it was well worth the time, and I will soon move on to other authors of who's works I own copies... Kant, Heidegger, Ovid, Rabelais, Nietzsche, and 20th century Catholic theologian Father John S. Dunne.
Although it took me over 3 months, it was well worth the time, and I will soon move on to other authors of who's works I own copies... Kant, Heidegger, Ovid, Rabelais, Nietzsche, and 20th century Catholic theologian Father John S. Dunne.
May 19, 2018
This can beat be described as socialist, boomer and bourgeoise. Terribly boring.
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December 4, 2010A decent philosopher in the Heideggerian tradition, and wonderful in his criticisms of materialism. Though his solutions leave a lot to be desired...
October 2, 2011
Skipped the chapter on Freud for now.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews