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published on April 29, 2017
Laura J. Miller
Relevance without Resonance
One-Dimensional Critique Today
This paper examines the contemporary social context in order to consider why Marcuse’s ideas, specifically those represented in One-Dimensional Man, do not resonate in the United States in the same way that they did when the book was published a half century ago. Although much of Marcuse’s analysis continues to be relevant for contemporary society, a fear of one-dimensional thinking has diminished. This is due, firstly, to scholarly defenses of populism. And secondly, it results from changes in international relations, the social and economic status of youth, and a more uniform reverence for technology.