Critical Theory and Herbert Marcuse

Dissonância: Critical Theory Journal accepts submissions of articles related to the work of Herbert Marcuse until March 10th, 2018. 

Editors: John Abromeit and Marcos Nobre

Marcuse was a critical theorist who always wanted to present the  most accurate diagnosis of the present time. This characteristic  sometimes brought him into conflict with the other Critical Theorists; for example, in his reevaluation of the concept of utopia. This does not mean, however, that Marcuse sought to break with Critical Theory. Quite the opposite was the case. Nevertheless, his unwavering commitment to a transformative critique of the present sometimes makes it difficult to see how he related to other tendencies – both older and newer – within Critical Theory. 

That is also why the first thematical area of this special issue will investigate Marcuse’s relationship to the larger field of Critical Theory and to Marxian theory more broadly. The second main theme of the issue will focus on Marcuse’s materialist transformation of the classical Hegelian idea of philosophy “as its own time comprehended in thoughts”.

The perspectives of inquiry here are at least twofold. On the one hand, we welcome papers that explore and analyze the relationship that Marcuse established with his own time – especially with so-called “Third World” liberation movements, with Feminism, Environmentalism, new forms of technology, and other key concerns and struggles of the 1960s and 1970s. On the other hand, we also encourage papers that explore Marcuse’s relevance to theoretical and political debates in the present, most especially after the democratic revolts that erupted worldwide after 2011. In short, our aim is to understand the present in a Marcusean way: with Marcuse beyond Marcuse.