Herbert Marcuse, a philosopher and social theorist, popularised the idea of the "one-dimensional man" in his landmark book "One-Dimensional Man: Studies in the Ideology of Advanced Industrial Society," which was released in 1964. In this book, Marcuse explores the notion of a brand-new type of social dominance and control that he perceived as developing in contemporary industrial cultures.
Marcuse defined the "one-dimensional man" as a person who has been completely assimilated into the current social system and has been taught to follow its norms and ideals without challenging them. He asserted that in modern industrial countries, the prevailing ideology and culture have a tendency to constrain people's critical thinking and imagination, lowering their goals and wanting to conform to the constraints set by the existing system.
The lack of true freedom and autonomy is what defines the one-dimensional man in this sense. The person becomes engrossed in a consumerist culture, driven by the desire for material goods and hedonistic pleasures, and loses sight of the larger social and political challenges that could threaten or call into question the status quo. As a result, the one-dimensional individual is constrained by an authoritarian society that hides its true character by creating the appearance of freedom and choice.
Marcuse believed that many strategies, including the monetization of culture and the manipulation of the media, are used to maintain this one-dimensionality. The status quo, real social change, and possible dissent or resistance, in his view, are all serviced by these control systems.
Critical theory, sociology, and cultural studies have all been influenced by the idea of the one-dimensional man. It draws attention to the possible consequences of a culture that suppresses people's critical consciousness and creative imagination, stopping them from questioning established hierarchies of power and imagining new possibilities for social change.
