The Study On Herbert Marcuse’s Critical Theory Of The Ideology

With the rapid growth of the science and technology,the developed countries has experienced great improvements in all aspects since 1950s.For instance, social material wealth has greatly grown and people’s living standards greatly improved. However, with the rapid development of science and technology, the rationality of the technology has become a political rationality, the alienation of science and technology makes the science and technology the nature of the ideology.As one of the early representative figures of Frankfurt school, Marcuse, based on the current situation of the alienation of science and technology, points out that the developed industrial society is a totalitarian society, under the technical rational rule, succeeded in depressed people’s critical and negative thinking, thus making the developed industrial society has been the one dimensional society. People living in a totalitarian society has also lost its critical and negative direction and become one dimensional person.In order to transcend the one dimensional depressive society, Marcuse mix the alienation theory of Marx and Freud’s psychoanalytic theory together, points out that one way to transcend the depressive society is to rebuild the non- repressed civilization. He also demonstrates the possibility and feasibility of the non-repressed civilization.Although academia gives the Marcuse’s theory of ideological criticism more criticism than praise, from my perspective, Marcuse’s theory should be given more attention. We should understand his theory in the certain context of social criticism and we should be aware that the theory of ideological criticism does not betrayal Marx ideology theory. Instead, the theory is another form of Marx’s ideology theory based on the specific historical conditions. In fact, Marcuse’s ideology theory not only promotes the critical spirit of Marx’s ideology, but also expand the field of the critique of ideology; Not only provide enough materials to study Marx’s ideology critique theory in the new historical conditions, but also open a new way of thinking to interpret Marx’s ideology critique theory in the context of modernity;not only demonstrate the contemporary value of Marx’s ideology but also enhance the attraction of the theory of ideological criticism. Therefore we should value Marcuse’s critical theory of ideology.First chapter combed the generation and evolution of ideology, which Marx and Marcuse analyzed different definition of the concept of ideology. Ideological concept was born as a philosophical epistemology concept, via Marx’s critique of ideology becoming the focus of academic circles, and then the connotation and denotation of the concept itself has undergone evolution, which making ideological research popular in the 20th century. Marx’s ideological concept is something like reconstruction, but Marcuse only definite it from different perspective and form the "science and technology is ideology" as the core argument theory of ideological criticism.The second chapter examines the theory origin. Marcuse’s ideology criticism was deeply influenced by Marx’s alienation theory and Freud’s psychoanalysis. On the one hand, Marcuse fully absorbing the Marx’s thoughts of labor alienation, points out the new features of alienation in the developed industrial society, analyzes that the science and technology alienation has the function of the ideology. On the other hand, Freud’s psychoanalysis combined with Marx’s alienation of labor, points out that the way to transcend the alienation is to rebuild the non-repressed civilization.The third chapter is the main part of the paper and the core part of the Marcuse’s ideology critical theory. This chapter is divided into three parts:the alienation of science and technology and ideology; one dimensional society; the way to transcend alienated is to rebuild the non-repressed civilization. This part demonstrates how the science and technology in the developed industrial society becomes ideology. From the way of totalitarian rule, in the field of political closed, high-level cultural trend of vulgarization and closed in the field of discourse and so on,Marcuse points out that the developed industrial society as a whole is the totalitarian society of alienation, repressed society.The fourth chapter is the evaluation of Marcuse’s critical theory. From my perspective, we should understand his theory in the context of social critical theory. Marcuse’s ideology critical theory has its own theoretical value and practical significance.The fifth chapter is the significance of the theory. From my perspective, intellectuals should have critical awareness; adhere to the principle of criticism. In addition, China should explore the path of the ideological construction and pay attention to in the construction of modern human value.