Eros and Civilization: A Philosophical Inquiry into Freud (Beacon Classics)

A dazzling collectible edition of one of the most groundbreaking thinkers of the 20th century's incisive philosophical analysis of western civilization

“Herbert Marcuse taught me that it was possible to be an academic and an activist, a scholar and a revolutionary.” - Angela Davis


Originally published in 1955, Herbert Marcuse’s Eros and Civilization has been deemed by the New York Times “the most significant general treatment of psychoanalytic theory since Freud himself ceased publication.” In this classic work, the internationally celebrated social theorist, philosopher, and political activist interrogates Freud's statement that civilization is based on the permanent subjugation of the human instincts to interpret the basic trends of western civilization. 

What emerges is an in-depth examination of the philosophical and sociological implications of Freud’s reconstruction of the prehistory of mankind. Challenging the widespread repression of his time, Marcuse imagines a utopian civilization emphasizing liberation and play. 

Known as the “father of the New Left,” Marcuse’s incisive critique of capitalist society and analysis of consumerism and social repression remain more relevant than ever.

Herbert Marcuse (1898-1979) was born in Berlin and educated at the universities of Berlin and Freiburg. He fled Germany in 1933 and arrived in the United States in 1934. Marcuse taught at Columbia, Harvard, Brandeis, and the University of California, San Diego, where he met Andrew Feenberg and William Leiss as graduate students. He is the author of numerous books, including One-Dimensional Man and Eros and Civilization.