Philosophy’s task is resisting the status quo’s suggestive compulsion

Evidence

The contemporary effort to reduce the scope and the truth of philosophy is tremendous, and the philosophers themselves proclaim the modesty and inefficacy of philosophy. It leaves the established reality untouched; it abhors transgression. — Herbert Marcuse, One-Dimensional Man, 648 (#corroborates, via linked claim)

Philosophy approaches this goal to the degree to which it frees thought from its enslavement by the established universe of discourse and behavior, elucidates the negativity of the Establishment (its positive aspects are abundantly publicized anyway) and projects its alternatives. To be sure, philosophy contradicts and projects in thought only. It is ideology, and this ideological character is the very fate of philosophy which no scientism and positivism can overcome. Still, its ideological effort may be truly therapeutic—to show reality as that which it really is, and to show that which this reality prevents from being. — Herbert Marcuse, One-Dimensional Man, 712 (#qualifies, via linked claim)

Rooting his conception in Hegel’s dialectical philosophy, Marcuse insists on the importance of distinguishing between existence and essence, fact and potential, and appearance and reality. One-dimensional thought is not able to make these distinctions and thus submits to the power of the existing society, deriving its view of the world and mode of behavior from existing practices and modes of thought. — Herbert Marcuse, One-Dimensional Man, 40 (#corroborates, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Modern philosophy voluntarily shrinks itself to avoid touching established reality — Herbert Marcuse, One-Dimensional Man: Studies in the…, 648; Philosophy works by replacing one common sense with another aligned to the ruling group — Antonio Gramsci, Selections from the Prison Notebooks, 1507; Losing the fact-potential distinction makes thought submit to existing society — Herbert Marcuse, One-Dimensional Man: Studies in the…, 40 (+10 more)

Broader Connections

• Modern philosophy voluntarily shrinks itself to avoid touching established reality #corroborates (0.85) — Herbert Marcuse, One-Dimensional Man, 648
• Philosophy’s only freedom is to project what reality prevents #qualifies (0.80) — Herbert Marcuse, One-Dimensional Man, 712
• Losing the fact-potential distinction makes thought submit to existing society #corroborates (0.78) — Herbert Marcuse, One-Dimensional Man, 40
• Philosophy works by replacing one common sense with another aligned to the ruling group #contradicts (0.75) — Antonio Gramsci, Selections from the Prison Notebooks, 1507
• Philosophy’s stated ideals force it into conflict with the very institutions proclaiming them #corroborates (0.75)