Panel discussion at the Linkes Forum

Eine Einladung, Herbert Marcuse's "Versuch über die Befreiung" neu zu diskutieren
June 9th, 2018 in Oldenburg, Germany

• The afternoon program started with readings from the book, then three parallel working groups discussed:
  1. the text itself
  2. continuity in Marcuse's thought from 1968 to today
  3. autonomous alternative spaces that help to understand Marcuse's vision [Denkansatz].
• In the evening representatives from various left and alternative groups joined to discuss the current political relevance of Marcuse's theses. The event flyer offers three suggestions:
  • Why instead of finding the 99% and the practices of dirty coal and the 99% obscene, do we experience tiredness instead? Why do we protest only by calling "be outraged" instead of taking concrete action?
  • Marcuse said New Sensibility would emerge in spaces not bound by alienated work and consumption. Can the idea of a Europe-wide shared "Commons" create such a space?
  • Can the enclaves created by the internal migration of temporary workers to the economic centers of the EU create an ally for the Great Refusal, which is mainly practiced by white youth and students?