Herbert Marcuse (1898–1979) was one of the most recognizable and controversial public intellectuals throughout the 1960s until his death in the late 1970s, but today Marcuse’s work largely stands in the shadows of other Frankfurt School members and critical thinkers.

Despite having once held a prominent and influential position amongst scholars, activists and readers in the 20th century, it is argued that Marcuse’s work nevertheless remains largely misunderstood.

The Dialectic of Herbert Marcuse, authored by Memorial’s Dr. Patrick Gamsby, offers a new interpretation of Marcuse, one that attempts to show how Marcuse’s work has so often been turned into something else — into its opposite.

In shining a light on parts of the unknown Marcuse, through the use of archival material and published works, this book reveals Marcuse’s critical theory to be one of hope, not one of pessimism, as it is so often portrayed to be.

Ultimately, it is argued that Marcuse’s critical theory remains a vital and important body of work for present-day society and ought to be revisited.

The Dialectic of Herbert Marcuse is published by Rowman and Littlefield.

Dr. Gamsby is a scholarly communications librarian at Memorial University and is cross-appointed to the Department of Sociology, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences.