"Eros and Civilization: A Philosophical Inquiry into Freud" is a book by philosopher and sociologist [[Herbert Marcuse]], first published in 1955. It's a work of social theory and philosophy that combines the ideas of [[Karl Marx]] and [[Sigmund Freud]] to critique Western industrial society. ### **Central Thesis** Marcuse argues that modern industrial societies repress human instincts (particularly sexual ones, the Eros of the title) in order to maintain social order and productivity. He contrasts this to a non-repressive society, where instincts would not need to be so thoroughly curbed. ### **Freud's Reality Principle and Performance Principle** In Freud's theory, the "reality principle" is the concept that an individual must defer or renounce certain instinctual desires due to the constraints of the physical and social world. Marcuse adds the "performance principle," arguing that industrial society imposes additional restraints, particularly through an insistence on constant work and productivity, leading to the suppression of human instincts beyond what is necessary. ### **Critique of Industrial Society** Marcuse critiques the way industrial society forces individuals into perpetual cycles of work and consumption, suppressing their instinctual desires for the sake of social order and economic productivity. This, he argues, leads to widespread unhappiness and alienation. ### **Vision of a Non-Repressive Society** Marcuse argues for the possibility of a non-repressive society, where technological advancements could reduce the need for labor, and instinctual desires could be freely expressed rather than repressed. He sees the potential for a society where technology liberates individuals from unnecessary work, and Eros, the life instinct, can be expressed in ways that unite pleasure with creativity. "Eros and Civilization" was a significant contribution to post-war social theory, combining the ideas of Freud and Marx to critique industrial society and envision alternatives. It influenced the 1960s counterculture and the [[New Left]] and continues to be a major work in the fields of philosophy, sociology, and critical theory. However, Marcuse's ideas have also been criticized for being utopian and lacking a concrete plan for how to achieve the non-repressive society he envisions.