•eibe Honn.ng In Black Dwarf No. 6 Peter Sedg- a Ce wick makes an attempt to analyse 1. Peter Sedgwick divides MarHerbert Marcuses ideas and tries cuse's writings into three periods. to show how these ideas have been. 1 tnink this a dangerous way of or minimal infiuence on the radical weaung the work of a political student movement. I would tend to thinker who in contrast with many agree with him that the importance others has been remarkably consisof Marcuse's writings to the student tent in his theories since he started rebellion has been grossly exag- writing. There are two trends which gerated. His importance is, like that I think are especially prominent in o1 Rudi Dutschke and Cohn Bendit, Marcuse's philosophy and which 1 largely the creation of the bour- think should be underlined. He has geois press. In order to find easy always stressed the imporance of explanations to social problems the critical (negative) thinking (i.e. the establishment personifies politics. dialectical proces). An early elaboThe press will pick anyone who is ration of this theory is printed in easily identifiable and project an Negations. He sees Marxian philoimage of him to the consumers of sophy as a fulfilment of this theory. the mass media; hence Marcuse Marcuse analyses the evolution of has been made the father of the critical thinking Reason and student rabellions, a role he himself Revolution which to certain has rejected all the time degree is based on his doctoral I think there is only one country thesis. Hegels Ontolgie und die where Marcuse's ideas really have Grundlegung einer Theorle der been influential in the formation of Geschichtlichkeit. In the 1955 edi a revolutionary student movement tion (with the postscript) he shows and that is in Germany; and this for how, while Hegel's philosophy was very special reasons. Marcuse is in based on nany ways a part of a German where metaphyic philosophical tradition called Die moving force in history, Marx lib Frankfurter Schule." and together rated dialectical thought from onwith other thinkers of this school tology. His dialectics are based on Marcuse has been prominent in: social conditions. discussing the structures of what The second trend is Marcuse's the German students would call the insistence on making a clear disauthoritarian society. Other impor- tinction between rational and irratant philosophers of this tradition tional authority. This distinction is are Max Horkheimer. Theodor W. of utmost importance in understanAdorno and Jurgan Habermass. ding Repressive Tolerance. There are two texts which 1 be- Peter Sedgwick seems to make lieve really established Marcuse's the same mistake as many position in Germany. The first is his Marcuse's other critics. He believes critique of Max Weber, the other is that Marcuse actually states that the his essay which Peter Repressive Sedgwick seems to Tolerance, between the proletariat and capita think is a call for censorship. (PIl return to that point later). Outside not so; what Marcuse says is that Germany however, I do not think Marcuse has played the influential tradictions, the role that the mass media give him. seems to have been integrated and (The last and most ridiculous the workers are made to believe so example of this exaggeration themselves. But as Marcuse's alleged secret meeting France chow and as Marcuse him. with British student leaders self has stated after the May revoluwhere he. according to The Obser- tion. this is nothing but a superficial ver, urged them to serve as detona- integration. tors for revolution). One can It might be unpleasant for a lot regret fact that Marcuse's of people that the working class in thoughts have not played the part western societies do not seem to they are , are supposed, to have. I think ethe anti be willing to revolt against society unless their revolutionary fervour is Western Europe, the crisis ridden "the abolition of labour" science fishermen in Northern Norway, It is must be used to serve the critical not a new theory that the rovo H. impetus instead of the oppressive tionary spirit has to be carried by forces. But that can only happen in an avant-garde. It is on the contrary a revolutionary society. an old element of Marxian thought. Peter Sedgwick seems to be3. Peter Sedgwick thinks that lieve that Marcuse is against the Marcuse means that all cultural development of sexual freedom. But activities serve the repressive neither in Eros and Civilization, nor structure of capitalism. On the con- in One Dimensional Man does Marcuse pass value judgments on the d in Dimension Man M role that sexual permissiveness use states that preciselv in art an plays in soclety. He makes an analiterature one can find the mos lysis of the development of what he advanced forms of the critical spirit. calls the performance principle. But he also stresses the fact that a The reality principle, which is a lot of what is presented today as necessity in any society, has in our of society only society developed into a perforserves the present structures. Partlv mance principle which is a function because it is only seen as a proof of competitive capitalist society and of liberalism in a truly repressive authoritarian socialism (in society. An example of "critical" Eastern Europe it is called "sociaart that does not succeed in "going listic competition"). When the perbeyond" (aufheben) the limits formance principle cannot be satisthe present society would be so- fied, it leads to aggression and this called daring erotic art. aggression must be released. If not, 4. Peter Sedgwick claims to des- the members of the society will turn modes and forms which reduce and locked up in small magazines. weaken erotic energy. In this pro- Then Marcuse 900S on to argue cess too, sexuality spreads into that it would not be a violation of formerly tabooed dimensions and the principle of tolerance to withrelations. However, instead of re- draw the right of speech to groups creating these dimensions and rela- advocating racism and the destructions in the images of the Pleasure tion of the world through bacterioPrinciple, the opposite tendency logical and nuclear warfare. This assert itself: the Reality Principle means that it would be necessary to extends its hold over Eros. The be intolerant to research. which most telling illustration is provided creates bacteriological and chemiby the methodical introduction cal weapons. coxinAce into business, politics, I do think that most revolutionary propaganda, etc. To the degree socialists would be very reluctant to which sexuality obtains a definite let racists have their say, and to sales value or becomes a token of let mad scientists carry out their prestige and of playing according insane experiments. When Marcuse to the rules of the game, it is itself was asked by Robert McKenzie in transformed into an instrument of an interview on "24 Hours" what social cohesion. Emphasis of this he meant by the paragraph that familiar trend may illuminate the Peter Sedgwick quotes, he answe depth of the gap which separates red: "1 believe that if the Nazi moveeven the possibilities of liberation ment in Germany had not been from the established ctato of allowed to make full use of the civil affairs." and political rights granted to them Peter Sedgwick's severest cri- by the democracy, if Hitler's "Mein ticism of Marcuse is centred around Kampf had not been allowed to be What really happened in May and June 1968?
This tightlv-argued and lucid commentary is without doubt the most constructive and authentic document to emerge from the events of those two months.
Covering the strategy and nature of the revolutionary movement, the strategy of the state, Stalinist bureaucracy and the class struggle in France, and the strategy and nature of Bolshevism, it makes a powerful impact and demands attention.
25s Dialectics of
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Cohn-Bendit Obsolete Communism The Left-Wing Alternative