Herbert Marcuse e a Teoria Crítica: para além da perspectiva normativa da Escola de Frankfurt

Abstract

We intend to present some aspects of the Herbert Marcuse´s Critical Theory in contemporary times. At first, we show the opposition between Marcuse and the last version of Critical Theory, developed by the normative perspective in Jürgen Habermas and Axel Honneth. Then, we show the insufficiencies of the normative perspective in front of the contemporary challenges, according to John Abromeit and Amy Allen. Both of them present some limits of the normative Critical Theory to understand the actual phenomena of conservative thinking. From this point, we need to propose a Critical Theory different from its Normative perspective. Marcuse´s critic experience presents such differences: his criticism to bourgeoise democracy follow the dynamic of the events and the expressions of the body. Such elements are central to present the “material content of the moral issues”, an important perspective to the conquest of the fear, the social affect that harbor the authoritarianism in democratic ways