Contemporary industrial society is now characterised more than ever by "the need for stupefying work where it is no longer a real necessity."
Herbert MarcuseRead
Free election of masters does not abolish the masters or the slaves.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Choosing leaders doesn't change the inherent power dynamics in society.
Herbert Marcuse's quote highlights the illusion of freedom in the selection of authority figures. It suggests that even when individuals have the right to choose their leaders, the fundamental relationships of power and subservience continue to persist, underscoring the limitations of democratic processes in addressing systemic inequalities.
Themes
ElectionPowerFreedomInequalityAuthority
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a discussion about the effectiveness of democratic elections in combating systemic issues.
More from Herbert Marcuse
All quotes βThe existing liberties and the existing gratifications are tied to the requirements of repression: they themselves become instruments of repression.
Herbert MarcuseRead
Art cannot change the world, but it can contribute to changing the consciousness and drives of the men and women who could change the world.
Herbert MarcuseRead
By virtue of the way it has organized its technological base, contemporary industrial society tends to be totalitarian. For "totalitarian" is not only a terroristic political coordination of society, but also a non-terroristic economic-technical coordination which operates through the manipulation of needs by vested interests.
Herbert MarcuseRead
However, if "free choice" means more than a small selection between pre-established necessities, and if the inclinations and impulses used in work are other than those preshaped by a repressive reality principle, then satisfaction in daily work is only a rare privilege.
Herbert MarcuseRead
The sickness of the individual is ultimately caused by and sustained by the sickness of his civilization
Herbert MarcuseRead
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