On Marcuse's Liberation Of Nature

Herbert Marcuse (1898-1979), is known as a leading critic of Frankfurt Social Research and as a liberating theoretician. The liberation of nature plays an important role in Marcuse's theory of liberation. It is not only one part of "universal liberation", but also a vehicle of the liberation of man. In the established society, nature itself, ever more effectively controlled, has in turn become another dimension for the control of man: the extended arm of society and its power. Commercialized nature, polluted nature, militarized nature cut down the life environment of man, not only in an ecological but also in a very existential sense. Domination of man through the domination of nature: the concrete link between the liberation of man and that of nature has become manifest today in the role which the ecology drive plays in the radical movement. Therefore, Marcuse think, the future revolution will be characterized by an essentially enlarged scope; for not only the economic and political structure, but also man's relation to nature (his own and external nature) tend toward radical transformation. Thus the "liberation of nature" is the connecting tissue between the economic-political and the cultural revolution, the mediation between the political practice of "changing the world" and the drive for personal emancipation.Marcuse's liberation of nature is made up of horizontal and vertical connotation, In the light of horizontal way, it consists of the liberation of his own and external nature. Human nature: man's primary impulses and senses as foundation of his rationality and experience. External nature: man's existential environment, the "struggle with nature" in which he forms his society. In the light of vertical way, there are 3 theoretical contents: First, take nature as subject-object. Second, the essence of the liberation of nature is the reconciliation of humanity and nature.Third, the best state of the liberation of nature is the aesthetic form in nature, as a token of freedom.Thus, how to realize the liberation of nature? Marcuse think, man must take right actions for the liberation of nature. Such as, take nature as subject-object; "human appropriation" of nature; "relate themselves to the thing for the sake of the thing"; the formation of the object world "in accordance with the laws of beauty",and so on..There is a great theoretical influence on Marcuse's liberation of nature. Thus, I mainly manifest it has a great spiritual impact on ecological Marxism, ecological philosophy, ecological and environmental ethics.Finally, there is a philosophical analysis of actual possibility on Marcuse's liberation of nature. It is generally believed that a relation between man and nature is a hot topic which is widely talked about both at home and abroad. The essence of Marcuse's liberation of nature is the reconciliation of humanity and nature. Especially, with the more and more serious problems of our environment, the study of Marcuse's liberation of nature has more important theoretical and actual significance for our current country.