The Marcusean Reflection on Advanced Industrial Society

Abstract

This article analyzes Herbert Marcuse's reflections on advanced industrial society, highlighting the main mechanisms of domination and the possibilities of emancipation present in his work. Drawing upon the theoretical influences of Hegel, Marx, and Freud, Marcuse develops a critique of advanced capitalist society, characterized by the integration of individuals into the system through technological rationality, the production of false needs, and the dissemination of one-dimensional thought. The study examines how material progress and consumerism function as instruments of social control, neutralizing criticism and incorporating social groups traditionally regarded as agents of historical transformation. Furthermore, it discusses the relationship between development and dependency, emphasizing the connections between central and peripheral societies within global capitalism. Finally, the article explores Marcuse's proposals for overcoming repressive society, including the role of intellectuals, marginalized groups, and liberation movements, as well as his conception of a non-repressive society grounded in freedom, creativity, the reduction of alienated labor, and the reconciliation between humanity and nature.