Critical Theory and the (Im)Possibility of Democracy: Why Marcuse Again?

In this paper I will examine the democratic impulse in the critical theory of Herbert Marcuse.  That is, critical theory in general is driven by the desire to disclose the social mechanisms at work in society that prevents that society from achieving optimal development with regards to equality, freedom, non-repressive forms of life, and non-alienating forms of work.  The social struggles that were a part of the scene when the Frankfurt School was formed have not only failed to go away, they seem to have multiplied.  Marcuse and the Frankfurt School have left behind some very important theoretical tools for understanding our society.

It is my belief that Marcuse and his Frankfurt colleagues have been put back on the bookshelves too quickly.  Marcuse’s form of critical theory allows us to see our society through dialectical lenses.  That is, in one look we can see the real possibilities for social change and democracy as well as the impediments to such.  In a country where politicians make a lot of noise about making the world safe for democracy we have failed to actualize our own democratic promise.  I think that Marcuse’s critical theory discloses why this is the case.  What is needed now is a reconstruction of Marcuse’s critical theory in light of contemporary struggles for liberation and democratic discourse.