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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 -
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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
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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
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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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