Critical Theory, Commodities and the Consumer Society

  • It is argued that although the classical critical theory of the Institute for Social Research criticizes the consumer society that is typical of advanced capitalism, new perspectives on commodities, needs, and consumption are necessary. The ideas of Herbert Marcuse, Erich FROMM, and others on this are reviewed, and are criticized for advocating an excessively global critique of commodities, needs, and consumption as uniformly alienating and manipulative. A theory is presented that distinguishes between true and false needs, useful and useless commodities, and life-enhancing and alienating consumption. It is suggested that critical theory should accommodate a diversity of consumer practices in evaluating consumption, and should provide more discriminating accounts of commodities and needs. Rational and progressive consumer practices are proposed, and the argument is advanced that critical Marxists should take consumer, environmental, and health movement struggles more seriously in developing critiques of contemporary capitalism and theories of social change.

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Metadaten
Author:Douglas M. Kellner
Parent Title (English):Theory, Culture and Society, Vol. 1 (No. 3, 1983), pp. 66-83.
Document Type:Articles
Language:English
Year of first Publication:1983
Release Date:2014/01/28
Format:PDF-scan to download
IdNo:Kellner_D_M_1983
Writings about Erich Fromm (Secondary Literature):Articles / Artikel
Erich Fromm's Library and Erich Fromm Archive:Articles / Artikel
Licence (German):
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