Herbert Marcuse: One of the great minds of the 20th century...

[laststeamtrain]

was remembered the other day on the occasion of the 107th anniversary of his birth at Doug Ireland's blog:
http://direland.typepad.com/direland/2005/07/remembering_her.html

2005 is also the 50th anniversary year of the original publication of Marcuse's book EROS AND CIVILIZATION which along with ONE-DIMENSIONAL MAN('64) was required reading for the well-read radical back in the day.

The blog entry is chock full of links and rich chunky goodness.

Marcuse's thought is well worth a visit or a re-visit, IMHO.

[IrateCitizen]

1. Marcuse, Adorno, Horkheimer...

All men who saw society propelling itself toward a dead-end early on.

I actually just finished a course on European Socialism and Communism, and we discussed Marcuse, Adorno and Horkheimer as the intellectual founders of the "new left" with their contributions to the Frankfurt School and Critical Marxism.

I've read some Adorno and Horkheimer, and have found that their theories have resonated with me almost completely. So much so that I would say that I have been a Critical Marxist for some time now, I just had never realized it. Marcuse is someone I will tackle over the next few weeks and read some of his stuff -- starting with One-Dimensional Man.

[laststeamtrain]

2. HUMAN EVENTS 10 most dangerous books:

gave an 'honorable mention' to Adorno and Horkheimer's AUTHORITARIAN PERSONALITY.

http://www.humaneventsonline.com/article.php?id=7591

Kinda a hoot of a list.

[RaleighNCDUer]

4. I can hardly believe that 'Mein Kampf' and 'Das Kapital'

are on that list. Has anyone, anyone at all, ever read completely through either of those monstrosities? I've looked at both, and with both decided they were completely unreadable. (I'm still waiting for the Classic Comics versions to come out.)

[leveymg]

3. Marcuse on "repressive tolerance":

The term still perfectly describes the way that socially liberal-politically reactionary types run most big institutions in Washington these days, whether it be the DLC, large Washington law firms, or neocon think-tanks:

"It is the people who tolerate the government, which in turn tolerates opposition within the framework determined by the constituted authorities," Marcuse wrote. "Tolerance toward that which is radically evil now appears as good because it serves the cohesion of the whole on the road to affluence or more affluence.

"The toleration of the systematic moronization of children and adults alike by publicity and propaganda, the release of destructiveness in aggressive driving, the recruitment for and training of special forces, the important and benevolent tolerance toward outright deception in merchandising, waste, and planned obsolescence are not distortions and aberrations, they are the essence of a system which fosters tolerance as a means for perpetuating the struggle for existence and suppressing the alternatives...."

In contemporary terms, this means you can buy personal freedom if you sell-out and do good work for corporate clients. You can be gay or straight, white or black, male or female. If you commodify your rebellion the system will allow you ample bandwidth and reward you well. You serve the system, so long as you are contained within the boundaries it defines for you. It will let you know when you have crossed over the line by expelling, ignoring, or ultimately destroying you.

[IrateCitizen]

5. Yup, that pretty much sums it up...

You serve the system, so long as you are contained within the boundaries it defines for you. It will let you know when you have crossed over the line by expelling, ignoring, or ultimately destroying you.

That's why someone speaking on a soapbox on the corner, railing against the status quo, is deemed only as a nuisance by the authorities. However, if he actually gets people to listen to him, he is deemed a threat.

[Karenina]

6. I had a VERY animated discussion

with 2 of my Muslim boypals today on just this. Any Ami watching would have incorrectly concluded we were having a "fight." Nah, we were all just passionately expressing ourselves.

What's that Frank Zappa quote, again? :evilgrin: