Rational Criticism And Aesthetic Redemption

Herbert Marcuse absorbs ancient Greek rationality thinking,critically inherits Hegel's view of rationality and later incorporates Freud's non-rationality thinking under the enlightenment of Marx Weber's instrumental rationality.The resulting social critical theory has profound implications and unique characteristics.According to Marcuse,developed industrial society is very rational as a whole.He starts from the perspective of politics,economy,and culture to reveal the social functions of technical rationality and thoroughly criticize the modernity of capitalism.Under the mediation role of technology,individuals are incorporated into existing social mechanism wherein technical rationality has turned into ruling rationality.Consequently,individuals degenerate to "one-dimensional men" who lose negativity,transcendence and critical spirits.Marcuse points out that in order to get rid of the constraints of technical rationality and arouse men's negative thinking,it is necessary to forsake the dissimilation of rationality to construct a new rationality.Such rationality includes philosophy,art,value,negativity,transcendence and critical factors.Throughout artistic aesthetic means,it remolds the "new sensibility" of men,and restores individual negative thinking and critical spirits,therefore enabling men to regain the ability to transcend reality and personal ability,liberate themselves and society and eventually construct a real non-repressive society which could authentically liberate men.Marcuse infuses the reflection about rationality concept into the analysis and overall criticism of developed industrial society modernity.As a result,resulting social critical theory has particular theoretical contributions and practice significance.His analysis concerning scientific and technical rationality in capitalist society leads to the reflection about men and social development,places emphasis on individual concrete happiness and freedom,pins hope on the redemption functions of art aesthetics to find a reformation way towards the non-repressive civilized society.Unfortunately,he falls into the imaginative field of life and aesthetic Utopia.