Abstract

Authors of two new and different but related books on Herbert Marcuse’s contemporary relevance present their respective arguments and then engage in discussion. Spatializing Marcuse: Critical Theory for Contemporary Times argues that a central problematic in Marcuse’s work—the containment of social change—is at root a spatial problematic. Walker undertakes the unexplored geographical elements of Marcuse’s thought. The Revolutionary Ecological Legacy of Herbert Marcuse—The Ecosocialist EarthCommonWealth Project is a praxis-oriented appeal to those engaged in a range of contemporary social justice struggles. It is keyed to what we are struggling for, not just what we are struggling against. Each author develops revolutionary alternatives to the present system. Ultimately, what intertwines both works is the presentation of a new Marcuse.