[FRA:] Marcuse question

[stevedevos at krokodile.co.uk]

Why the emphasis on Habermas as the alternative ? Or is this a case of
confusing the US understanding of liberal with the european understanding
of  liberal. Or is it that you feel constrained by the [FRA] heading  ?

s
> 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
>
>
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