"One-Dimensional Man: Studies in the Ideology of Advanced Industrial Society" is a work by philosopher [[Herbert Marcuse]], published in 1964, that offers a wide-ranging critique of both contemporary capitalism and Soviet communism. The title of the book refers to Marcuse's concept of one-dimensionality, which is a state of mind and society where critique, differentiation, and opposition are eliminated or marginalized to promote a sense of social harmony and unanimity. ### **Central Thesis** Marcuse's central argument in "One-Dimensional Man" is that advanced industrial society creates false needs, which integrate individuals into the existing system of production and consumption. Through this process, social life becomes one-dimensional because the system dictates thought and behavior. ### **False Needs and Consumerism** According to Marcuse, the rise of consumerism in advanced industrial societies leads to the creation of 'false needs' - needs created and satisfied by capitalism that replace and suppress individuals' true needs. The result, he argues, is a society driven by a relentless desire for consumer goods and seeming political apathy. ### **Technology and Rationality** Marcuse argues that the rationality and efficiency championed by these societies are tools of social control. Technology, while having the potential to free people from labor, is instead used to control and exploit workers further. Furthermore, Marcuse suggests that this technological rationality creates a one-dimensional thought process that limits critical thinking and opposition. ### **Repressive Tolerance** A significant concept Marcuse introduces is that of "repressive tolerance". He argues that apparent tolerance of dissent in advanced industrial societies can be a means of neutralizing and absorbing opposition, thus stifening genuine resistance. ### **Solution and Conclusion** Marcuse calls for "the [[Great Refusal]]" - a rejection of the established order - as a necessary step towards breaking free from the repressive structures of advanced industrial society. He does not provide a clear blueprint for this social change, but rather promotes the idea of radical critique and imagination to envision alternatives to the status quo. "One-Dimensional Man" remains a seminal work in the fields of sociology, philosophy, and political science. It was influential in shaping the ideals of the 1960s counterculture and [[New Left]] movements and continues to be relevant to discussions on consumerism, technology, and social control.