CONTEMPORARY SOCIAL THEORY General Editor: ANTHONY GIDDENS This series aims to create a forum for debate between different theoretical and philosophical traditions in the social sciences. As well as covering broad schools of thought, the series will also concentrate upon the work of particular thinkers whose ideas have had a major impact on social science (these books appear under the sub-series title of 'Theoretical Traditions in the Social Sciences'). The series is not limited to abstract theoretical discussion - it will also include more substantive works on contemporary capitalism, the state, politics and other subject areas. Published titles Tony Bilton, Kevin Bonnett, Philip Jones, Ken Sheard, Michelle Stanworth and Andrew Webster, Introductory Sociology Simon Clarke, Marx, Marginalism and Modem Sociology Emile Durkheim, The Rules of Sociological Method ( ed. Steven Lukes, trans. W. D. Halls) Boris Frankel, Beyond the State? Anthony Giddens, A Contemporary Critique of Historical Materialism Anthony Giddens, Central Problems in Social Theory Anthony Giddens, Profiles and Critiques in Social Theory Anthony Giddens and David Held (eds), Classes, Power and Conflict: Classical and Contemporary Debates Geoffrey Ingham, Capitalism Divided? Terry Johnson, Christopher Dandeker and Clive Ashworth, The Structure of Social Theory Douglas Kellner, Herbert Marcuse and the Crisis of Marxism Jorge Larrain, Marxism and Ideology Ali Rattansi, Marx and the Division of Labour Gerry Rose, Deciphering Sociological Research John Scott, The Upper Classes: Property and Privilege in Britain Steve Taylor, Durkheim and the Study of Suicide John B. Thompson and David Held (eds), Habermas: Critical Debates John Urry, The Anatomy of Capitalist Societies Forthcoming titles Martin Albrow, Max Weber and the Construction of Social Theory Emile Durkheim, The Division of Labour in Society (trans. W. D. Halls) Ali Rattansi and Dominic Strinati, Marx and the Sociology of Class CONTEMPORARY SOCIAL THEORY General Editor: ANTHONY GIDDENS Theoretical Traditions in the Social Sciences This new series introduces the work of major figures in social science to students beyond their immediate specialisms. Published titles Barry Barnes, T. S. Kuhn and Social Science Ted Benton, The Rise and Fall of Structural Marxism David Bloor, Wittgenstein: A Social Theory of Knowledge Mark Cousins and Athar Hussain, Michel Foucault Julian Roberts, Walter Benjamin Dennis Smith, Barrington Moore: Violence, Morality and Political Change Forthcoming titles Christopher Bryant, Positivism in Social Theory Ira Cohen, Structuration Theory John Forrester, Jacques Lacan Bob Jessop, Nicos Poulantzas William Outhwaite, Realist Philosophy in the Social Sciences James Schmidt, Maurice Merleau-Ponty and Social Theory Dennis Smith, The Chicago School Piotr Sztompka, Robert K. Merton's Social Theory Robin Williams, Erving Goffman Herbert Marcuse and the Crisis of Marxism Douglas Kellner Department of Philosophy University of Texas at Austin M MACMILLAN © Douglas Kellner 1984 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without permission First published 1984 by Higher and Further Education Division MACMILLAN EDUCATION LTD Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG21 2XS and London Companies and representatives throughout the world Filmsetting by Vantage Photosetting Co. Ltd Eastleigh and London British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data Kellner, Douglas Herbert Marcuse and the crisis of Marxism. (Contemporary social theory) 1. Marcuse, Herbert-Sociology 2. Sociology I. Title II. Series 301'.092'4 B945.M2984 ISBN 978-0-333-36831-2 ISBN 978-1-349-17583-3 (eBook) DOI 10.1007/978-1-349-17583-3 In remembrance of Herbert Marc use, 1898-1979 Contents Acknowledgements xi Author's Notes xii Introduction: Herbert Marcuse and the Crisis of Contemporary Civilization 1 WhyMarcuse? 2 Marcuse and the crisis of Marxism 5 Reading Marcuse 10 1 Origins: Politia, Art and Phllosophy in the Young Marcuse 13 1.1 Marcuse's road to Marx 14 1.2 The German artist-novel 18 1.3 Heidegger and philosophy 32 2 Phenomenological Marxism? 38 2.1 Marxism and revolutionary practice 39 2 .1.1 The radical act 41 2.1.2 Authenticity and revolution 43 2.2 Heidegger, historicity and historical materialism 50 2.2.1 Dialectics and phenomenology 51 2.2.2 Towards a reconstruction of historical materialism 58 2.3 'On Concrete Philosophy' 63 3 Studies in the Marxian Phllosophy 69 3.1 Philosophy and socialtheory 70 3.2 Dialectics and historicity 72 3.3 Marx's Economic and Philosophical Manuscripts 77 3.3.1 Marx's anthropology, theory of alienation and critique of capitalism 81 viii Contents 3.3.2 Humanism, revolution and socialism 84 3.4 The philosophical foundation of the concept of labour 87 4 Critical Theory and the Critique of Fascism 92 4.1 Liberalism, capitalism and fascism 96 4.1.1 Bourgeois culture, authority and the family 104 4.1.2 Critique of the Frankfurt School theory of fascism 112 4.2 Philosophy and critical theory 115 4.3 Critical theory and the crisis of Marxism 125 5 Hegel, Marx and Social Theory: Reason and Revolution 130 5.1 Towards a theory of critical reason and critique of positivism 131 5.1.1 Hegel's critique of empiricism 133 5 .1.2 Critical theory v. positivism 135 5.2 HegelandMarx 140 5.3 Radical despair and the struggle against fascism 148 6 Repression and Liberation: Eros and Cirilization 154 6.1 Civilization and its discontents: towards a critical theory of socialization and anthropology of liberation 157 6.2 Civilization and domination: Marx, Freud and critical theory 164 6.3 The roads to liberation 171 6.3.1 The new reality principle 172 6.3.2 Phantasy, art and play 174 6.3.3 Eros released 181 6.4 Critique of Eros and Civilization 189 6.4.1 Eros, play and liberation 189 6.4.2 Freud and critical theory 193 7 Marcuse's Critique of Bureaucratic Communism: Soviet Marxism 197 7.1 Marcuse and Soviet Communism 199 7.1.1 Domination and the new rationality 201 7.1.2 Bureaucracy and the new class 206 7.1.3 Critique of Soviet ideology 212 Contents ix 7.2 Towards possible liberalization? 219 7.3 Marcuse and Soviet Marxism 224 8 Marcuse's Theory of Advanced Industrial Society: One-Dimensional Man 229 8.1 Reading One-Dimensional Man 230 8.2 One-Dimensional Man as a theory of advanced capitalism 241 8.2.1 Commodities, false needs and the consumer society 242 8.2.2 The integration of labour and recomposition of the working class 249 8.2.3 The capitalist state and one-dimensional politics 252 8.2.4 The containment of Eros and Logos 254 8.2.5 Science, technology and capitalism 263 8.3 Critical remarks on Marcuse's theory of advanced capitalism 267 9 Marcuse, Radical Politics and the New Left 276 9.1 The Great Refusal 277 9.2 Marcuse's advocacy of confrontation politics: 'Repressive Tolerance' 281 9.3 In search of the revolutionary subject 284 9.3.1 Towards a 'United Front': Counte"evolution and Revolt 291 9.3.2 The 'preventive counterrevolution' 295 9.3.3 The New Left in the 1970s: against misplaced radicalism 297 9.4 ~Towards a new concept of revolution and critique of orthodox Marxism 301 9.4.1 Marcuse and Bahro on the new subjective conditions for revolutionary change 307 9.4.2. Critique of Marcuse's new revolutionary perspectives 313 10 Liberation and Utopia 320 10.1 Towards a new concept of socialism 323 10.2 The new technology 330 10.3 The new sensibility and emancipation of the senses 338 10.4 Art and emancipation 347 x Contents 1 0.4.1 The Aesthetic Dimension 353 10.4.2 Critique ofMarcuse's aesthetics 357 Conclusion: Marcuse's Unfinished Legacy 363 Notes and References 376 Bibliography 480 Index 501