Marcuse or the new left

Abstract

Through this research, we have tried to present a picture, albeit brief, of a contemporary philosopher who contributed - from the fifties until his death at the end of the seventies - to enriching political, social and psychological philosophy through his treatment of the concept of revolution and freedom. There is no doubt that Marcuse contributed to giving a new outlook to the political left through his criticism of traditional Marxism, which bases most of its ambitions on the working class, which no longer poses a noticeable threat to the prevailing capitalist system due to the developments that have entered the political, social, cultural, and economic arena.

These developments, represented by the greatly improved working and living conditions, made the working class no longer demand revolution and radical change, but rather became satisfied with what the prevailing capitalist system offers them in terms of wages, decent housing, vacations, etc. The working class also became the first ally of the capitalist system, because it stood in the face of everyone who sought to radically change the status quo.