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Canadi an

J our nal of

P o l i t i c a l

and

Soci al Theor y / Revue canadi enne de t heori e

pol i t i que et s o c i a l e , Vol

3 No

Wnter/ Hi ver )

1979

OMMENT RY

THE

REIFI TIONOF

THE

PROLET R T

Herbert

Marcuse

I wi l l s t a r t wi t h a

r est at ement of

t he r e i f i e d

concept of

t he

prol et ari at t he

prol et ari at

s by i t s very

exi st ence,

a

t h e

pot ent i al l y revol ut i onary

f o r c e

t h i s

qual i t y bei ng def i ni t i ve

of

i t s

very exi st ence

G ven i t s

exi st ence,

i t s

p ot e nt i a l

f unct i on

i n

t he t ransf ormat i on

of

s o c i e t y

i s

a l s o

gi ven r e a l i s a t i o n of

i t s

exi st ence

Now want t o

def end

t h i s r e i f i c a t i o n ,

whi ch has

at l e a s t

t he ad-

vant age t hat t st ops

t he

desparat e search

f or t he l o s t revol ut i onary Subj ect

a

l o s s

hel d t o be due t o t he preval ent

i nt egrat i on of t he worki ng c l a s s into

t he

c a p i t a l i s t syst em

The

wor ki ng c l a s s

s t i l l s t he ont ol ogi cal ant agoni st

of

c a p i t a l , and

t he

pot ent i al l y revol ut i onary Subj ect

; but

i t

s a

v a s t l y expanded

worki ng

c l a s s ,

whi ch

no

l onger

corresponds d i r e c t l y t o

t he

Mar xi an p r o l e t a r i a t

Lat e capi t al i sm

has

re- def i ned t he

wor ki ng

c l a s s

t oday,

i n

t he advanced

count r i es,

i ndust r i al

l abourers are no l onger t he great

maj or i t y of t h i s c l a s s

The

deprol et ar i ani zat i on

of

t he

worki ng

c l a s s

i s

i ndi cat ed

not

onl y

i n

t he

hi gher

st andard of

l i v i n g ,

i n

t he sphere

of

consumpt i on

i t s a

t r end r oot ed i n t he

devel opment

of

t he

pr oduct i on process

i t s e l f ,

whi ch

i nt egrat es

l arge s t r a t a of

non- prol et ar i an

workers

i nt o t he worki ng c l a s s

Whi te c o l l a r

empl oyees,

t echni ci ans,

engi neers,

and

t he s t e a d i l y growi ng pr i vat e

and

publ i c bureaucracy

whi ch a s s u r e s

t he creat i on

as

wel l a s

r e a l i s a t i o n

of

surpl us

val ue Al l t hese have

t o s e l l

t h e i r

l abour

power and are

separat ed

from

t he

cont rol

of

t hemeans

of

pr oduct i on

I n t h i s great l y enl arged

wor ki ng

c l as s ,

t he gap

bet ween

i n t e l l e c t u a l

and

mat eri al l abour i s bei ng r educed,

knowl edge

and

educat i on

are

general i zed

;

however ,

t hese

achi evement s

are

i nval i dat ed

t o t he

degree

t o

whi ch

t he

syst em

reproduces

i t s e l f

t hr ough

t he

product i vi t y of unproduct i ve

l abour , whi ch does

not

i nc r e as e t he

s o ci a l weal t h,

but

rat her

dest roys

and

abuses i t t hr ough t he product i on

of wast e,

pl anned

obsol escence,

a s e l f -



TH

REIFICATIONOF

TH

PROL T R T

propel l i ng armament i ndust r y, management

of

consci ousness

and

sub-

consci ousness , et c

The

c a p i t a l i s t

mode

of

pr oduct i on,

t hr ough

t he

i ncreasi ng

mechani zat i on

and i n t e l l e c t u a l i z a t i o n of l abour , accumul at es an

i ncreasi ng

quant i t y

of

gener al

a b i l i t y s k i l l s know edge

a

human

pot ent i al

whi ch cannot

be

devel oped

w t hi n

t he es tabl i shed

appar at us

of

pr oduct i on, because t woul d

c o n f l i c t

w t h

t he need

f or f ul l - t i me

de- humani zed l abour l a r g e

part of

i t

channel l ed

i n t o

unnecessary

wor k,

unnecessary

i n

t hat i t i s not r equi r ed f or t he con-

s t r u c t i o n

and

pr eservat i on

of a

better s oc i e t y but

necessi t ated

onl y

by t he

r equi r ement s

of c a p i t a l i s t pr oduct i on

Under these

ci r cumt ances,

a

count er - consci ousness

emer ges

among

t he

dependent

popul at i on

t oday

about 90 of t he

t o t a l ?

an awar eness

of t he

ever more bl at ant

obsol escence

of t he

est abl i shed

s o ci a l

di vi s i on and

or gani zat i on

of work

Rudol f Bahro,

t he

ml i t ant

East

German di s si dent he

was

i mmedi at el y

j a i l ed a f t e r

t he

publ i cat i on,

i n West Germany of hi s book

The Al t er nat i ve)

uses

t he

t e rm

surpl us- consci ousness t o

desi gnat e t h i s s t i l l

l a r g e l y vague and di f f used)

awar eness

He def i nes

t as t he

gr ow ng

quant i t y

of f r e e

ment al

ener gy

whi ch i s

no

l onger

t i e d

up

i n

necessary l abour

and

hi er ar chi cal

knowedge

New

Left Revi ew

no

106,

November-December

1977)

Surpl us Consci ousness does

not descr i be

an

i deol ogi cal e n t i t y s i gni f yi ng

a r el apse

i n t o

i deal i sm Rat her , t h i s

strange

t e rm

desi gnat es a qual i t y of t he

ment al ener gy expressed i n t he actual

behavi our

of menandwomenunder t he

i mpact of t he mode of pr oduc t i on

i n l a t e capi t al i sm Thi s ener gy

i s sur pl us

over

and above t he energy

spent

d a i l y i n t he

al i enat ed per f ormances

r equi r ed

by t he es tabl i shed pr oduct i on

r e l a t i o n s

Bl ocked

i n

f i ndi ng s a t i s f y i n g

ways of

e f f e c t i v e r ea l i s at i on

t

becomes ,

among

t he

dependent popul at i on, con-

sci ousness of f r u s t r a t i o n

huml i at i on,

and

wast e

At t he same

t i me, c a p i t a l i s t

mass

pr oduct i on

const ant l y st i mul at es

t h i s

consc i ousness

by

t he

di spl ay

of an

ever

l a r ge r o f f e r

of

commodi t i es over

and

above t he ne ces s i t i e s

and even

ameni t i es)

of

l i f e

The system

t hus

compel l ed,

by

t he

r equi r ement s

of

enl arged

compet i t i ve

accumul at i on, t o c r e a t e

and

t o renewconst ant l y t he needs

f or

l uxur i es ,

whi ch ar e

l l

but i na c c es s i b l e t o t hose who l a c k t he

necessary

purchasi ng power

Late

capi t al i sm

i nvokes

t he

i mages

of an

e as i e r

l e s s

r e pr e s s i v e

l e s s i nhuman

l i f e whi l e per pet uat i ng t he

al i enat ed

l abour

whi ch

deni es

t h i s s at i s f a c t i on

I n

s h o r t l a t e

capi t al i sm

d a i l y

demons t r at es

t he f a c t t hat

t he

wher ew t hal

f or

a bet t er

s oc i e t y

i s

ava i l a b l e

but

t hat

t he

very s oc i e t y whi ch

has

created t hese resources of

freedom

must

pr ecl ude

t h e i r use

f or t he

enhancement and

t oday

even f or t he pr ot ect i on)

of l i f e

I n

t h i s

f o rm t he consci ousness

of

t he under l y i ng popul at i on

penet r at ed by

t he

i nherent

cont r adi ct i ons

of capi t al i sm

To

be s ur e t h e i r appear ance

does

not

2 1



HER ERT

M RCUSE

correspond t o

t h e i r

essence

surpl us

consci ousness

does

not

concept ual i ze

t he

dynamcs

of

l a t e

c a p i t a l i s t pr oduct i on

Nonet hel ess,

surpl us consci ousness

t ends

t o

become

a

mat er i al

f o r c e ,

not

pr i mar i l y

as

c l a s s

consci ousness,

but

rather as t he

consci ousness

of an

opposi t i on whi ch

expresses

i t s e l f

i n

new

o r

r ecapt ured) modes

of a c t i o n ,

i n i t i a t e d

not

by

any

s p e c i f i c

c l a s s , but

by

a

precar i ous

and

t empor ar y al l i ance

of

groups

among t he dependent

popul at i on

Such

act i ons

i ncl ude

t he ci t i zens

i n i t i a t i v e s

e . g

t he or gani zed

prot est agai nst

nucl ear

energy

i n s t a l l a t i o n s , agai nst

c a p i t a l i s t urban renewal ) ,

t he

f i ght

agai nst

raci sm

and

sexi sm t he st udent s

p r o t e s t , et c

At

t he

same

t i me, workers

i n i t i a t i v e s

t r anscend t he

merel y

economc

c l a s s st ruggl e

i n t he

demands f or t he sel f - organi zat i on ( aut ogest i on)

of

work

Under t he concent r at ed

power

of

corporat e capi t al i sm t s

product i vi t y

and

dest r uct i veness, t he opposi t i on

s

e f f e c t i v e l y

cont ai ned

There

i s

no roomf o r a

radi cal i sm

whi ch woul d be support ed by

t he peopl e,

and

t he range

of

movement

as

wel l as

t he demands whi ch

r e s ul t

e a s i l y

appear

i deol ogi cal and

reformst

s

t h i s

a

t hr owback

t o previ ous st ages of

bour geoi s

democr acy?

I n

t h i s

si t uat i on t he

c l a s s i c al

Marxi st

t i me t abl e

of

h i s t o r i c a l

r evol ut i ons

gai ns new

si gni f i cance

Accor di ng t o t hi s

t i me

t a bl e ,

a

- bourgeoi s- democrat i c

revol ut i on

precedes

t he p r o l e t a r i a n - s o c i a l i s t revol ut i on

The

f ormer i s

t o

c r e a t e

t he

pr e- condi t i ons

f or

t he

i deo l o gi c al ,

p o l i t i c a l ,

economc,

and

organi zat i onal

t ransi t i on

t o

soci al i sm

a s s e r t i o n

and

enl ar gement

of c i v i l r i g h t s

and

l i b e r t i e s ,

r educt i on

of

monopol y c a p i t a l , i nst i t ut i onal i zat i on

and ext ensi on of equal i t y

and of

publ i c s er v i c es ,

emanci pat i on of oppressed

r a c i a l

and nat i onal

mnori t i es) Today,

t he subj ect i on of t he

maj or i t y

of t he

bourgeoi si e

t o t he

hegemony of cor porat e c a p i t a l ,

and

t he i ncreasi ngl y t o t a l i t a r i a n

character of t he

c a p i t a l i s t

s t a t e

threaten

t o

cancel

t he

achi evement s of t he

r evol ut i ons

of

t he

18t h

and 19t h cent ur i es

t hey

are

t o

be

r ecapt ured

and radi cal i zed

The

l o s s

of

economc

power sust ai ned by

l a r g e

sect i ons of

t he

bourgeoi si e, and

t he i n-

t ensi f i ed expl oi t at i on of t he

worki ng

c l a s s

( o ld

and new) make

f or

t he

f o r -

mat i on

of a

popul ar base

f or

change

Thus,

t he

hi st or i c

compromse

t he

a l l i a n c e

w t h

bour geoi s f o r c e s ,

t he

r e j e c t i o n

of

t he di ct at orshi p

of

t he

prol et ar i at

i n t he strategy

of urocommuni sm

has r o o t s i n t he very s t r u c t u r e

of

l a t e

capi t al i sm

urocommuni sm

does

not aimat repl aci ng t he revol ut i on

by

t he v o t e ,

nor does t nec es s a r i l y proj ect

f eat ures of t he revol ut i on

i t s e l f

I t

rather cl ai ms

t o be a t heor y and p r a x i s

r espondi ng t o awhol e ( and

pr obabl y

l ong) per i od dur i ng whi ch

capi t al i sm

mobi l i zes

t s

ent i re

economc,

t echnol ogi cal ,

and

ml i t a r y

power

t o

make

t he

wor l d

t s wor l d

s a f e f or

enl arged

accumul at i on Thi s

i mpl i es, on

t he

par t of c a p i t a l ,

t he need

t o

cont ai n

t he c l a s s

st ruggl e w t h i n

economc f orms, t o obt ai n

and

mai nt ai n t he

col l aborat i on

of

t he

worki ng c l a s s

by

di vi di ng

t

i nt o

a

pri vi l eged popul at i on

i n

t he

advanced

c a p i t a l i s t

count r i es,

and an

under pr i vi l eged

popul at i on

bot h

i n

2 2



THREI FIC TI ONOFTH

PROL T R T

these count r i es and abr oad Wthi n t he gl obal syst em the mul t i - nat i onal

cor por at i ons keep

t he

compet i t i ve c o n f l i c t s f rombecomng

expl osi ve

Thi s

o ve r a l l

c a p i t a l i s t

pol i cy

s

l a r g e l y

s u c c e s s f u l

The

subj ect i on

of

t he petty

and

m ddl e bour geoi si e

t o monopol y

c ap i t a l

has not l e d t o t h e i r pr ol et ar i ani z-

at i on

The

mat er i al achi evement s of

capi t al i sm t s l i f e- and- deat h power , and

t he appar ent absence

of

a bet ter a l t e r n a t i v e

s t a b i l i z e

t he sys tem

W t hi n

t he

gl obal

f r amewor k, however , a vast

r e s er v o i r

of a n t i - c a p i t a l i s t sent i ment

s

bui l t

up

I n

t he devel oped c a p i t a l i s t

count r i es,

t does not

r e s u l t i n a

r evol ut i onar y

movement

i f

by

r evol ut i onar y we under st and commtment t o t he

mas s

st r uggl e

f or

t he overthrow

of

t he

est abl i shed

s o ci a l

system

Eurocommuni sm

ai ms

at

art i cul at i ng

and

w nni ng

over

t h i s

l a r ge ant i -

c a p i t a l i s t

but

not yet

s o c i a l i s t

oppos i t i on

out si de

t he

pr ol et ar i at

The

changes

ar e

pr om s i ng

One

reason t he sur pl us consci ousness has negat ed

t he r e i f i c a t i o n

whi ch

vei l ed t he

r ea l

mechani smof

dom nat i on behi nd

t he

f acade

of f r e e , obj ecti ve exchange

r el at i onshi ps

Can there

s t

be

any

mysti f i cat i on

of

who

s gover ni ng and i nwhose i nt e r e st s ,

of

what s t he base

of

t he i r power ?

Not

onl y s

t he

i deol ogy

of capi t al i smwear i ng

t h i n

i nal i enabl e

human

r i g h t s ?

t he i nvi s i bl e hand

of

f r e e compet i t i on?

pr i vat e ent erpr i se?

equal i t y?)

t he very r e a l i t y of t he system

no

l onger conceal s

t s

utter

destr uct i veness t he prol i ferat i on

of

nucl ear ener gy,

t he

poi soni ng of

t he

l i f e

envi r onment ,

chr oni c

unempl oyment and i n f l a t i o n , perfected control

of

t he

popul at i on,

et c

To

concl ude

The t endency i s t o

t he Ri ght I t

meet s

an enl ar ged opposi t i on,

qual i t at i vel y

weakened by

i nt er nal

d i v i s i o n ,

and by the l ack of an or gani zat i on

adapt ed

t o

t he condi t i ons

of corporate capi t al i sm

t

t he

same

t i me, t he

gl obal

c o n f l i c t s

bet ween

t he

c a p i t a l i s t power s, and

w t h

t he Thi r d Worl d

tend

t o

weaken

t he

s t a b i l i z a t i o n

of

t he

system w t hout ,

however , pos i ng a ser i ous

threat

The

l i f e- and- deat h

quest i on

f or

t he

Left

i s

Can

t he t r ansf ormat i on

of

t he corporate St at e i nt o a

neo - f as c i s t

State be pr event ed? The quest i on,

as

wel l

as

t he

possi bl e

answer s do not a r i s e from

a

r e v i s i o n

of

Mar xi an

theory,

they

ar e

posed

by

Mar xi an

theory i t s e l f

Phi l osophy

Uni ver s i t y of

Cal i f orni a,

San ego

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