Herbert Marcuse's philosophy aimed to change society by critiquing and challenging the status quo. Marcuse was a student of the famous philosopher, Martin Heidegger, but his works have been heavily influenced by Karl Marx's ideas. The question of whether Herbert Marcuse was a Marxist is a complex and controversial one. While Marcuse did not consider himself a Marxist in the traditional sense, his works and ideas are often associated with Marxist theory. Marcuse was critical of the capitalist system and believed that it was responsible for the exploitation of the working class and the alienation of individuals from their true selves.
Marcuse's most influential book, "One-Dimensional Man," which was published in 1964, is often seen as a Marxist critique of modern society. Here Marcuse argues that modern society has become "one-dimensional," where individuals are controlled and manipulated by the media, the state, and the corporate world. He believed that only by breaking free from this one-dimensional world could individuals truly be free.
In addition, Marcuse was heavily influenced and even considered part of the Frankfurt School, a group of Marxist thinkers who sought to combine Marxist theory with psychoanalytic theory and cultural criticism. Marcuse's works, such as "Eros and Civilization" and "The Aesthetic Dimension," reflect this influence and are often seen as Marxist in nature.
However, Marcuse's ideas also diverged from traditional Marxist theory in several ways. For example, he rejected the idea of a proletarian revolution, which was a central tenet of Marxist theory. Instead, he believed that a revolution could come from any group that was oppressed by the system, including students, intellectuals, and minorities.
In conclusion, while Herbert Marcuse did not consider himself a Marxist, his ideas and works are often associated with Marxist theory due to his critiques of capitalism and his belief in the need for societal change. However, Marcuse's ideas also diverged from Marxist theory in several ways, making it difficult to categorize him as a traditional Marxist.