POLSCI 3CC3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Consumerism, Authoritarianism, The Affluent Society
31 Jan 2018
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Document Summary
We are comfortable in modern capitalism, but we also give up a lot for modern capitalism. And if you challenge modern capitalism, you re out of line. You ve given up the right to challenge that. All we need to do is let go and you re free, but we convince ourselves that there is no other way than to hold on. Marcuse disagrees completely with this logic if you have to be given back your freedom (via getting a job with a good amount of vacation days), you don t have freedom in the first place. Freedom isn t something someone gives you back it s yours. Marcuse: what s happening in our world is that we ve forgotten about the second level of rationality. This is strategic behaviour, having given up the higher thinking of goal behaviour. Operational knowledge displaces the higher exercise of rationality. We re interested in the technique of things rather than the meaning.
