Episode #113 - The Frankfurt School Pt. 6 - Art As A Tool For Liberation
The Frankfurt School Pt. 6 - Art As A Tool For Liberation
This episode explores why the Frankfurt School—particularly Herbert Marcuse—placed such importance on art and aesthetics in their critique of capitalist society. Rather than dismissing art as irrelevant during times of systemic repression, Marcuse argues that it holds unique power to transform how people see themselves and their place in the world. True liberation, he believes, cannot come through force or impulsive revolution but through a gradual shift in class consciousness, which begins by altering people’s subjectivity—their internalized worldview shaped by culture and media. The culture industry reinforces passive, oversimplified perspectives that prevent deep reflection or awareness of systemic issues. In contrast, great works of art can disrupt these ingrained views and offer glimpses of alternative realities, making them powerful tools for awakening and resistance. However, Marcuse cautions that even art can be co-opted by capitalism, turned into mere commodities unless paired with intentional action—praxis. Liberation, then, requires a balance of theory and praxis, guided by compassion, strategy, and a refusal to reduce others to enemies within the system they never chose.
Further Reading:
The Aesthetic Dimension: Toward a Critique of Marxist Aesthetics by Herbert Marcuse (1978)
Herbert Marcuse: An Aesthetics of Liberation by Malcolm Miles (2011)
Art and Liberation: Collected Papers of Herbert Marcuse, Volume 4 by Herbert Marcuse (2017)
See the full transcript here.
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