The core logic of his thought regarded "repression" in late capitalism, which operates not through control and denial, but allowance and expression. Here the social "no" is eliminated, wherein all pleasures become allowed - in commodified form - wherein a controlled expression of all desires and wants becomes a tool of recuperation and control . False consciousness is perpetuated and the free exercise and pursuit of pleasure becomes a strategy of containment . Marcuse, Herbert. One-Dimensional Man. Introduction. The actual material unfreedom of individuals (vis-a-vis a Marxist analysis of the means of production and labor's exploitation/alienation/reification) passes by unnoticed - as the "negative is sublated."  Individuals thus pursue instantaneous and non-mediated desire satisfaction which dissipates the energies and drivers of critique and negative thinking. "The world is no longer perceived as hostile" wherein the status quo is perpetuated through the proliferation of comforts, consumerism, and commodification; where the concept of repressive desublimation highlights the desire-production and control dynamics of these processes. Marcuse, Herbert, One-Dimensional Man. pp. 56-83 Controlled gratification is therein said to produce voluntary compliance and submission, wherein the desire for transcendence is eradicated. This is opposed to prior societies whose social controls banned the access and expression of certain pleasures, leading to their "repression," which was expressed as an antagonism in the life of individuals who were forced to "sublate" their desires into socially acceptable forms.Marcuse, Herbert. Negations. Chapter 1, The Affirmation of Culture Today repression operates through the desublimation of desire, wherein no desires are forced underground, therein eliminating forms of critical distance from society. For examples see the acceptance of pornography, sex work, drug culture, bdsm, furries, gay culture, lavish living, trans culture, and the like, which are no longer seen by society as negative or pernicious life styles. The pursuit of these is now sanctioned and celebrated, meaning being a member of these types of forms of life is no longer a subversive action or lifestyle, but in fact, has been commodified and now perpetuates capital society via the value-form. A negative has been turned into a positive - only operating here at the level of desire-production. This idea will be picked up by Deleuze, Baudrillard, Zizek, and others. Marcuse, Herbert. One-Dimensional Man. pp. 56-83
The core logic of his thought regarded "repression" in late capitalism, which operates not through control and denial, but allowance and expression. Here the social "no" is eliminated, wherein all pleasures become allowed - in commodified form - leading to the controlled expression of all desires and wants , as the presentation and manipulation of these into prefabricated commodified forms becomes the crucial tool of recuperation and control in post-industrial capital. Marcuse, Herbert. One-Dimensional Man. pg.62-80. False consciousness is perpetuated and the free exercise and pursuit of pleasure becomes a strategy of containment , as individuals find the vector of their desires, wants, drives, etc., become part of the Culture Industry. Marcuse, Herbert. One-Dimensional Man. Introduction. The actual material unfreedom of individuals (vis-a-vis a Marxist analysis of the means of production and labor's exploitation/alienation/reification) passes by unnoticed - as the "negative is sublated." The key is that the well or reservoir of revolutionary energy (dissatisfaction, frustrated desire, truncated fulfillment, bastardized actualization of wants, failed cathexis, etc.) which historically has served as the catalyst for revolutionary action no longer exists, as late capitalism has learned to allow for the controlled expression of all desires, whence the experience of frustration (negation) becomes elimination, leading to an "affirmative" culture - never faced with denial, negation, curtailment, in their cultural life, the proletariat feels no desire for revolutionary action. Marcuse, Herbert. One-Dimensional Man. Introduction. Individuals thus pursue instantaneous and non-mediated desire satisfaction which dissipates the energies and drivers of critique and negative thinking. "The world is no longer perceived as hostile" wherein the status quo is perpetuated through the proliferation of comforts, consumerism, and commodification; where the concept of repressive desublimation highlights the desire-production and control dynamics of these processes. Marcuse, Herbert, One-Dimensional Man. pp. 56-83 Controlled gratification is therein said to produce voluntary compliance and submission, wherein the desire for transcendence is eradicated. This is opposed to prior societies whose social controls banned the access and expression of certain pleasures, leading to their "repression," which was expressed as an antagonism in the life of individuals who were forced to "sublate" their desires into socially acceptable forms.Marcuse, Herbert. Negations. Chapter 1, The Affirmation of Culture Today repression operates through the desublimation of desire, wherein no desires are forced underground, therein eliminating forms of critical distance from society. For examples see the acceptance of pornography, sex work, drug culture, bdsm, furries, gay culture, lavish living, trans culture, and the like, which are no longer seen by society as negative or pernicious life styles. The pursuit of these is now sanctioned and celebrated, meaning being a member of these types of forms of life is no longer a subversive action or lifestyle, but in fact, has been commodified and now perpetuates capital society via the value-form. A negative has been turned into a positive - only operating here at the level of desire-production. This idea will be picked up by Deleuze, Baudrillard, Zizek, and others. Marcuse, Herbert. One-Dimensional Man. pp. 56-83
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The key is that the well or reservoir of revolutionary energy (dissatisfaction, frustrated desire, truncated fulfillment, bastardized actualization of wants, failed cathexis, etc.) which historically has served as the catalyst for revolutionary action no longer exists, as late capitalism has learned to allow for the controlled expression of all desires, whence the experience of frustration (negation) becomes elimination, leading to an "affirmative" culture - never faced with denial, negation, curtailment, in their cultural life, the proletariat feels no desire for revolutionary action. Marcuse, Herbert. One-Dimensional Man. Introduction.