Marcuse (Herbert Marcuse)

Herbert Marcuse was a German-American philosopher and social theorist associated with the Critical Theory tradition. He analyzed how advanced industrial societies promote conformity and suppress individuality through mass culture and technological systems. Marcuse believed that these mechanisms create a "repressive state" that limits true freedom and critical thought. However, he also envisioned a possibility for social change through the awakening of marginalized groups and the development of a "new consciousness" that challenges existing norms. His ideas have influenced debates on culture, capitalism, and the potential for revolutionary transformation in modern society.