Herbert Marcuse

Born: 1898 | Died: 1979

Philosopher

Herbert Marcuse was born in Berlin as the son of a Jewish textile merchant. He studied at the universities in Berlin and Freiburg and earned a doctoral degree in German Literature in 1922.

In 1933, Marcuse joined the Institute for Social Research in Frankfurt. One year later he left Germany to take a leading position at the Institute’s branch in Geneva, Switzerland before coming to New York. Marcuse became a US citizen in 1940. He then served as an intelligence analyst for the US office of strategic services. Throughout his career, he took several teaching positions at Harvard, Columbia, Brandeis, as well as at the University of California.

His best-known and most influential work is the 1964 publication: “One-Dimensional Man: Studies in the Ideology of Advanced Industrial Society.” In this book, Marcuse describes his theory; that in modern affluent societies, critical thinking is suppressed by a consumer culture, which serves as a shallow substitute for intellectual and spiritual wealth.

Herbert Marcuse remained honorary emeritus professor of philosophy at the University of San Diego until his death during a visit to Germany.

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