7 famous phrases from Marcuse

Marcuse’s phrases are direct and critical. They allow us to recognize the enormous limits of freedom within which we operate. They warn about complacency with conditions of injustice, alienation and lack of autonomy.

There are many Marcuse’s phrases that have transcended time. This philosopher of German origin had “a great obsession” that is reflected in most of his statements: freedom. That was the value that kept him up late at night and led him to interesting reflections.

Herbert Marcuse was persecuted by the Nazi regime and perhaps that is why he learned to recognize the fundamental importance of being free. Like other contemporaries of his, He was also impressed by the degree of alienation that society reached. German with the Hitler phenomenon.

Marcuse’s phrases also incorporate a radical critique of capitalist society. He found that beyond being a system economic, it was also an ideological system that ended up captivating even those who exploited it.. Without further ado, these are seven of his most famous statements.

“The free choice of masters does not abolish either masters or slaves. Choosing freely among a wide variety of goods and services does not mean freedom if these goods and services support social controls over a life of effort and fear, that is, if they support alienation.”.

-Herbert Marcuse-

1. Intellectual freedom

… “Intellectual freedom would mean the restoration of individual thought now absorbed by mass communication and indoctrination, the abolition of public opinion along with its creators.”.

This is one of those Marcuse quotes that doesn’t make much sense to a large number of people today. He talks about freedom intellectual, but in the contemporary world there are more who prefer to bow to the majorities.

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Unfortunately, In today’s human beings there is more desire to join the great mass which to reaffirm their individuality. Leaving the herd is scary and uncomfortable. That is why intellectual freedom is not such an appreciated good.

2. Romanticism and defamation

“‘Romantic’ is a condescending slur term that is easily applied to avant-garde positions”.

This is one of those beautiful phrases from Marcuse that tell us about something that is repeated incessantly in the world: the disqualification of those who dream of change. Them They are called “romantic”. ”, with the purpose of ridiculing them in some way.

That is why Marcuse speaks of that word as a kind of defamation. He says it’s condescending, because it’s a subtlety. At the same time, he points out that Those who are classified like this, in one way or another represent a form of leadership.

3. One of Marcuse’s phrases about learning

“Entertainment and learning are not opposed; entertainment can be the most effective way to learn”.

The philosopher is right. And he comes from a field that many consider dense and difficult. However, he did not stop thinking that Only what captures our attention generates learning.

In this case the word entertainment refers to that which causes us fun and pleasure. Those who think that learning is a basically intellectual function are mistaken. At the root of this there are strong emotional components that determine it..

4. The human being as an instrument

“This is the pure form of servitude: existing as an instrument, as a thing”.

The theme of freedom, slavery and servitude is recurring in Marcuse’s phrases. In this case speaks of those realities in which a human being stops being an end in itself and becomes the means to something.

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Any form of instrumentalization or use of a person reduces them to a level of servitude. It doesn’t matter if this happens in the work world, in the family or as a couple. No human being should serve as a means for another to achieve their goals..

5. Current slavery

“The slaves of developed industrial society are sublimated slaves, but they are slaves”.

This is another one of those Marcuse quotes that may not make sense to many people today. When the philosopher talks about slavery refers to any type of relationship in which one human being turns another into an object of benefit..

In this case the industrial society is referred to. What Marcuse points out is especially reflected in the middle classes, with incomes somewhat higher than average. They think that the relative freedom of consumption they have is true freedomwhen it is nothing more than another sign of their slavery.

6. Things are owners of people

“Products indoctrinate and manipulate; They promote a false consciousness immune to its falsehood”.

In this case Marcuse refers to the power that consumer objects acquire over us. In the actual world, Perhaps the most emblematic case is that of children’s toys. These can be said to play with the child, rather than the opposite.

Adults also have their own “toys.” This is the case of the mobile phone, which in many cases leads to an absurd and compulsive game, which captures the mind and keeps it erratic. In this way, he indoctrinates and manipulates.

7. The concept of alienation

“I have just suggested that the concept of alienation seems to become questionable when individuals identify with the existence that is imposed on them and in which they find their own development and satisfaction.”.

This is, without a doubt, one of Marcuse’s most interesting phrases. In it he denounces the state of alienation present in contemporary society. The most serious thing about it is that it is consensual. Many identify with it and try to live according to its logic.

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As Foucault also pointed out, People no longer have to be pressured to obey the orders of the system.. They do it with pleasure. In fact, they are terrified of being outside that system. That has been one of the greatest triumphs of their masters.

Marcuse is one of those philosophers with a universal vocation who is called to endure over time.. His contribution nourished great social movements and continues to be a beacon that illuminates the path of what he was so obsessed with: freedom.