Criticism And Hope Of Technological Society

Beginning from the reality of the developed industrilized society and based on social, cultural, political and historical background of that time, Marcuse learns Horkheimer, Weber, Marx, and Heidegger's thinking of their theories. He forms his critical thought of science and technology. His critical thought of science and technology can be divided into critical thought, the essence of technology, one-way thought and the thinking of new technology, and these theories are the same in logic. Marcuse begins with the criticism of tool rationality, explores the essential concept of technology and further puts forward one-way thought and the thinking of new technology. Marcuse assumes science and technology dominated by tool rationality are performing the function of ideaolgy. Consequently he regards science and technology as his critical core. In criticism, he points out that under the ideaology of science and technology the people living in developed industrilized have lost negativism of inner heart, criticism and the pursue for freedom and the whole soceity has taken on a one-way prospect. This phenomenon can be shown as one-way politics, one-way culture, one-way thinking and one-way humans. Marcuse doesn't simply attach his thought to the criticism but seeks new hope of technology in criticism and therefore he puts forward his own theroy of new technology:switch technology and the approach to using it through aesthetics of technology and achieve the complete liberation of humans. Marcuse reflects deeply on the relation between science and technolgy and the political domination, pointing out being dominated, sociality and penetrability of science and technology, which are of great inspriation and value. But he completely blames varities of negative phenomena under the capitalistic way of manufacture on science and technology themselves and makes radical negativity, which is his weakness. Marcuse's critical thinking of science and technology has a great impact on Frankfurt school, as well as comtrbutes a certain thought to the estabishment of ecological Marxiam. Marcuse's critical thinking of science and technology has great practical significance in establishing the scientific and technological goal of use value and harmonious concept of nature.