[FRA:] Marcuse question

[Ralph Dumain]

My remark is one-sided, in light of Marcuse's emphasis on reason and 
liberation, in contradistinction to the irrationalist tradition on which 
Marcuse (as well as Adorno and Horkheimer to differing extents) 
drew.  Marcuse at once seems to be more Romantic in his tendencies but also 
more politically radical than the other two.

In any case, I'm not about to endorse Habermas as the alternative.  Better 
Marcuse's "romantic" conception of liberation than Habermas' ultimately 
lukewarm liberalism.  But in a way, the contrast of the two exhibits the 
dilemma of contemporary Western radicalism.  Reading Marcuse's 1969 speech 
reminds me of what a reactionary epoch we live in now.  Of course, by the 
standards of the neofascist Bush regime, even Habermas looks radical, but 
seeing as how much I detest Washington liberals, I'm not about to wax 
enthusiastic.

At 07:38 PM 2/19/2006 +0000, steve.devos at krokodile.co.uk wrote:
>How many people, also believe that this comment on Marcuse "exhibits the 
>worst Romantic, anti-scientific tendencies of the irrationalist 
>tradition...." is useful ? with it's implication that contemporary work on 
>science and technology studies are perhaps also to be considered 
>irrrational... even though in general this area of work does not go as far 
>as Marcuse in beginning to think of the non-nuetrality of technology and 
>science.
>
>the question stands - are there others who agree with Ralph's comment and 
>why ? or indeed why not ?
>
>s
>
>Ralph Dumain wrote:
>
>>I tend to be imbalanced about Marcuse, sometimes forgetting the acute 
>>radical thrust of his take on the role of reason and philosophy. After 
>>stumbling on this excellent essay this morning, I feel compelled to share:
>>
>>Marcuse, Herbert. "The Relevance of Reality," presidential address to the 
>>Pacific Branch of the American Philosophical Association in Portland, OR, 
>>March 29, 1969. Published in: Proceedings and Addresses of the American 
>>Philosophical Association 42 (1968-9), pp. 39-50. Reprinted in: The Owl 
>>of Minerva: Philosophers on Philosophy, edited by Charles J. Bontempo and 
>>S. Jack Odell (New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1975), pp. 231-244.
>>
>>http://www.marcuse.org/herbert/pubs/60spubs/69RelevanceReality.pdf