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Herbert Marcuse and the Art of Liberation
Traces the life of the German Marxist philosopher and offers a concise analysis of his philosophical writings
- GenresBiographyPhilosophy
Hardcover
First published May 1, 1982
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June 17, 2020
When the Klu Klux Klan threatened to murder Herbert Marcuse for his dangerous rabble rousing at college, he remarked the following: "If somebody really believes that my opinions can seriously endanger society then he and society must be very badly off indeed" (176)
This book is excellent! It provides a useful, and not too scholarly overview of Marcuse's life and thought. Teasing out the influence of Lukács, Freud, Hegel and German idealism, Katz is great at explaining Marcuseanism is a straight forward, yet still impressive way which doesn't lose anything in its simplicity. This volume should be read after watching the documentary on Marcuse's life and fills any gaps left from more general studies of the Frankfurt School, such as Stuart Jeffries' 'Grand Hotel Abyss'. Katz also explains Marcuse's work with the OSS (forerunner to the CIA) in a way which makes sense, and comprehends why a radical would side with US intelligence agencies in the era of denazification and McCarthyite paranoia. Katz is also great at putting forth some of the oft skipped over parts of Marcuse's life, such as his teaching Angela Davis, and his late foray into feminism, two things he doesn't receive enough credit for.
This book is excellent! It provides a useful, and not too scholarly overview of Marcuse's life and thought. Teasing out the influence of Lukács, Freud, Hegel and German idealism, Katz is great at explaining Marcuseanism is a straight forward, yet still impressive way which doesn't lose anything in its simplicity. This volume should be read after watching the documentary on Marcuse's life and fills any gaps left from more general studies of the Frankfurt School, such as Stuart Jeffries' 'Grand Hotel Abyss'. Katz also explains Marcuse's work with the OSS (forerunner to the CIA) in a way which makes sense, and comprehends why a radical would side with US intelligence agencies in the era of denazification and McCarthyite paranoia. Katz is also great at putting forth some of the oft skipped over parts of Marcuse's life, such as his teaching Angela Davis, and his late foray into feminism, two things he doesn't receive enough credit for.
Displaying 1 of 1 review