Free election of masters does not abolish the masters or the slaves.
Herbert MarcuseRead
The people recognize themselves in their commodities; they find their soul in their automobile, hi-fi set, split-level home, kitchen equipment.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote suggests that people derive their identity and self-worth from material possessions.
Herbert Marcuse critiques consumer society by indicating that individuals often see their own reflection in the objects they own, equating their personal identity with material goods such as cars, electronics, and homes. This reliance on commodities for self-definition points to a deeper issue of alienation, where true fulfillment and identity are overshadowed by the consumption of culture and products, leading to a superficial existence that prioritizes appearances over genuine human connection and experience.
Themes
IdentityConsumerismMaterialismAlienationPossessions
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about consumer culture and identity, this quote can be used to illustrate how people may misplace their sense of self in their belongings.
More from Herbert Marcuse
All quotes →Contemporary industrial society is now characterised more than ever by "the need for stupefying work where it is no longer a real necessity."
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The existing liberties and the existing gratifications are tied to the requirements of repression: they themselves become instruments of repression.
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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.
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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
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