Eros and Civilization
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| - | {{Template}}'''Eros and Civilization''' is one of [[Herbert Marcuse]]'s best known works. Written in [[1955]], it is a synthesis of [[Karl Marx]] and [[Sigmund Freud]]. Its title alludes to Freud's ''[[Civilization and Its Discontents]]''. Marcuse's vision of a non-repressive society, based on Marx and Freud, anticipated the values of [[1960s]] [[counterculture|countercultural]] [[social movements]]. | + | {{Template}} |
| - | In the book, Marcuse writes about the social meaning of biology - history seen not as a [[class struggle]], but fight against repression of our instincts. He argues that [[capitalism]] (if never named as such) is preventing us from reaching the non-repressive society "based on a fundamentally different experience of being, a fundamentally different relation between man and nature, and fundamentally different existential relations". He argues that Freud's contention that repression ''is'' necessary for civilisation to persist is ill-founded - instead of being destructive, Marcuse considers that a liberated eros is upbuilding. | + | '''''Eros and Civilization: A Philosophical Inquiry into Freud''''' is a 1955 book by German philosopher and social critic [[Herbert Marcuse]] that synthesizes [[Karl Marx]] and [[Sigmund Freud]]. One of Marcuse's best known works, its title alludes to Freud's ''[[Civilization and Its Discontents]]''. Marcuse's vision of a non-repressive society, based on Marx and Freud, anticipated the values of 1960s [[1960s counterculture|countercultural]] [[social movements]]. |
| - | Marcuse starts with the conflict postulated by Freud in "Civilisation and Its Discontents" - the struggle between human instincts and the repression brought on by the socially-tuned conscience (aka superego). Freud claimed that biological clash between [[Eros (Freud)|Eros]] and civilisation is inevitable and results in the history of man being one of his repression: 'Our civilisation is, generally speaking, founded on the suppression of instincts.' Sex produces the energy, and it is repressed so the energy can be channeled into progress - but the price of progress is the prevalence of guilt instead of happiness. "Progress", for Marcuse, is a concept to rationalise the perpetuation of the prevailing system into the future, an end to which the happiness of people in the present (and the pleasure principle is all about the present) is sacrificed. | + | ''Eros and Civilization'' discusses the social meaning of biology - history seen not as a [[class struggle]], but a fight against repression of our instincts. It argues that "advanced industrial society" (modern [[capitalism]]) is preventing us from reaching a non-repressive society "based on a fundamentally different experience of being, a fundamentally different relation between man and nature, and fundamentally different existential relations". It contends that Freud's argument that repression is needed by [[civilization]] to persist is mistaken, as [[Eros (Freud)|Eros]] is liberating and constructive. |
| - | Marcuse argues that 'the irreconcilable conflict is not between work (reality principle - life without leisure) and Eros (pleasure principle - leisure and pleasure), but between alienated labour (performance principle - economic stratification) and Eros.' Sex is allowed for 'the betters' (capitalists...), and for workers only when not disturbing performance. He believes that a socialist society could change this by replacing the 'alienated labor' with "non-alienated libidinal work" thus resulting in "a non-repressive civilisation based on 'non-repressive sublimation'". In other words, Marcuse believes that a socialist society could be a society without needing the performance of the 'poor' and without as strong a suppression of our drives as in today's society. | + | Marcuse starts with the conflict described by Freud in ''Civilization and Its Discontents'' - the struggle between human [[instinct]]s and the conscience of [[psychological repression|repression]] ([[superego]]), which is self-repressing trying to follow the [[society]]'s [[mores]] and [[norm (sociology)|norms]]. Freud claimed that a clash between Eros and civilization results in the [[history of humanity]] being one of his repression: 'Our civilization is, generally speaking, founded on the suppression of instincts.' Sex produces the energy, and it is repressed so the energy can be channeled into progress - but the price of progress is the prevalence of guilt instead of happiness. "Progress", for Marcuse, is a concept that provides the explanation and excuse of why the system has to continue; it is the reason the happiness of people is sacrificed (see also [[Pleasure principle (psychology)|pleasure principle]]). |
| - | The argument depends on the assumption that repression is largely an historical phenomenon (history of humankind is that of repression). Marcuse concludes that biological repression itself is not the problem but that our troubles stem from the additional 'surplus repression' produced by the specific historical institutions of our own period. The result is a philosophy that is a merger of Freud and Marx, or what one reviewer called an 'eroticized Marx'[http://www.human-nature.com/rmyoung/papers/paper89h.html]. | + | Marcuse argues that 'the irreconcilable conflict is not between work ([[reality principle]] - life without leisure) and Eros (pleasure principle - leisure and pleasure), but between alienated labour (performance principle - economic stratification) and Eros.' Sex is allowed for 'the betters' (capitalists...), and for workers only when not disturbing performance. Marcuse believes that a [[socialist]] society could be a society without needing the performance of the 'poor' and without as strong a suppression of our sexual drives: it could replace 'alienated labor' with "non-alienated libidinal work" resulting in "a non-repressive civilization based on 'non-repressive sublimation'". |
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| + | The argument depends on the assumption that [[instinct]]s can be shaped by historical phenomena such as repression. Marcuse concludes that our society's troubles result not from biological repression itself but from its increase due to "surplus repression" which is the result of contemporary society. The result is a philosophy that is a merger of Freud and Marx, or what one reviewer called an 'eroticized Marx'. Norman O. Brown paid homage to ''Eros and Civilization'' in ''[[Life Against Death]]'', calling it "the first book, after [[Wilhelm Reich]]'s ill-fated adventures, to reopen the possibility of the abolition of repression." | ||
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| + | [[Erich Fromm]] criticized ''Eros and Civilization'' as an incompetent distortion of Freud. | ||
| ==See also== | ==See also== | ||
| * [[Eros (Freud)]] | * [[Eros (Freud)]] | ||
| + | * [[Freudo-Marxism]] | ||
| + | |||
| {{GFDL}} | {{GFDL}} | ||
| + | [[Category:WLL]] | ||
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Eros and Civilization: A Philosophical Inquiry into Freud is a 1955 book by German philosopher and social critic Herbert Marcuse that synthesizes Karl Marx and Sigmund Freud. One of Marcuse's best known works, its title alludes to Freud's Civilization and Its Discontents. Marcuse's vision of a non-repressive society, based on Marx and Freud, anticipated the values of 1960s countercultural social movements.
Eros and Civilization discusses the social meaning of biology - history seen not as a class struggle, but a fight against repression of our instincts. It argues that "advanced industrial society" (modern capitalism) is preventing us from reaching a non-repressive society "based on a fundamentally different experience of being, a fundamentally different relation between man and nature, and fundamentally different existential relations". It contends that Freud's argument that repression is needed by civilization to persist is mistaken, as Eros is liberating and constructive.
Marcuse starts with the conflict described by Freud in Civilization and Its Discontents - the struggle between human instincts and the conscience of repression (superego), which is self-repressing trying to follow the society's mores and norms. Freud claimed that a clash between Eros and civilization results in the history of humanity being one of his repression: 'Our civilization is, generally speaking, founded on the suppression of instincts.' Sex produces the energy, and it is repressed so the energy can be channeled into progress - but the price of progress is the prevalence of guilt instead of happiness. "Progress", for Marcuse, is a concept that provides the explanation and excuse of why the system has to continue; it is the reason the happiness of people is sacrificed (see also pleasure principle).
Marcuse argues that 'the irreconcilable conflict is not between work (reality principle - life without leisure) and Eros (pleasure principle - leisure and pleasure), but between alienated labour (performance principle - economic stratification) and Eros.' Sex is allowed for 'the betters' (capitalists...), and for workers only when not disturbing performance. Marcuse believes that a socialist society could be a society without needing the performance of the 'poor' and without as strong a suppression of our sexual drives: it could replace 'alienated labor' with "non-alienated libidinal work" resulting in "a non-repressive civilization based on 'non-repressive sublimation'".
The argument depends on the assumption that instincts can be shaped by historical phenomena such as repression. Marcuse concludes that our society's troubles result not from biological repression itself but from its increase due to "surplus repression" which is the result of contemporary society. The result is a philosophy that is a merger of Freud and Marx, or what one reviewer called an 'eroticized Marx'. Norman O. Brown paid homage to Eros and Civilization in Life Against Death, calling it "the first book, after Wilhelm Reich's ill-fated adventures, to reopen the possibility of the abolition of repression."
Erich Fromm criticized Eros and Civilization as an incompetent distortion of Freud.
See also
