A Study Of Marcuse’s Idea Of "Alienated Consumption"

After the end of the Second World War,Western countries rapidly developed technology,which led to a great increase in their own economic power,as well as to a great improvement in people’s lives.It was against this background that Marcuse,supported by Marx’s theory of alienated labor,criticized all aspects of the economic situation,the social environment and some other characteristics of the times in the United States.In response to capitalism’s consumer culture,he put forward the idea of alienated consumption.He pointed out that with the rapid development of science and technology,the phenomenon of “alienation” had emerged in all aspects of human life,and that people’s “false needs” had led to the domination of their thinking in all directions,which had led to a one-way trend in their spiritual life and critical consciousness.This has led to a gradual loss of the negation and criticism of thinking.Although we are not yet an advanced capitalist country,with the rapid development of the productive forces of society,ownership,ownership and distribution of the means of production have diversified and the demand for the alienation of commodities has become increasingly strong.The acceleration of technological progress in a rapidly developing country,the rapid development of the internet,and the rise of diverse modes of consumption are the main reasons for this further deterioration.This paper therefore provides an insight into Marcuse’s idea of alienated consumption,which is the original purpose of this thesis.This article offers a new perspective on the phenomenon of capitalist alienation in the context of Marxist theory and analyses Marcuse’s critical theory of unidimensionality,exposing the causes of people’s progressive unidirectional thinking.It explores the significance of the “second direction” and guides us to pay more attention to thinking,helping people to establish a better view of consumption,which is conducive to the harmonious coexistence of human beings and society.Specifically,the paper consists of the following five parts: The first part begins with a general survey of Marcuse’s theory of alienated consumption and points out the significance of an in-depth exploration of the issue in the light of current international and national discussions on the subject.The second part describes the history of Marcuse’s idea of alienated consumption and the theoretical origins of its emergence.In terms of the period in which it emerged,its manifestations are as follows: firstly,the unprecedented prosperity of the capitalist economy after the Second World War;secondly,the development of science and technology in capitalist society;and thirdly,the advent of the age of consumerism.As far as its theoretical sources are concerned,they are: firstly,Marx’s idea of alienated labor;secondly,Hegel’s idea of “alienation;”thirdly,the study of Freud’s psychoanalysis;and fourthly,Lukasz’s idea of objectification.The third part focuses on the core elements of Marcuse’s idea of alienated consumption.He analyses the causes of alienated consumption from three aspects: the misuse of science and technology,the use of science and technology as an ideological tool for domination,and the inducement of “false needs”.At the same time,he proposes strategies to eliminate alienated consumption by promoting “new technologies” and constructing “new sensibilities.” The fourth section focuses on the essential features of Marcuse’s idea of alienated consumption.The critical nature of his ideas on alienated consumption is reflected in the critique of technological rationality,ideology and capitalist civilizations;the historical inheritance is reflected in the inheritance and development of Marx’s theory of the alienation of labor and the enrichment of Frankfurt’s theory of alienated consumption;the foresight is reflected in the warning of the current trend of alienated consumption and the inspiration for the construction of ecological civilizations.The final part is a Marxist perspective on Marcuse’s idea of alienated consumption and its practical implications.Although Marcuse’s idea of alienated consumption is flawed in one way or another,he has contributed to Marxist theory to a large extent,and his theoretical ideas have important inspirations and implications for the improvement of the concept of rational and moderate consumption in China.