Crisis and Commonwealth: Marcuse, Marx, McLaren

Crisis and Commonwealth: Marcuse, Marx, McLaren advances Marcuse scholarship by presenting four hitherto untranslated and unpublished manuscripts by Herbert Marcuse from the Frankfurt University Archive on themes of economic value theory, socialism, and humanism. Contributors to this edited collection, notably Peter Marcuse, Henry Giroux, Peter McLaren, Zvi Tauber, Arnold L. Farr and editor, Charles Reitz, are deeply engaged with the foundational theories of Marcuse and Marx with regard to a future of freedom, equality, and justice. Douglas Dowd furnishes the critical historical context with regard to U.S. foreign and domestic policy, particularly its features of economic imperialism and militarism. Reitz draws these elements together to show that the writings by Herbert Marcuse and these formidable authors can ably assist a global movement toward intercultural commonwealth. The collection extends the critical theories of Marcuse and Marx to an analysis of the intensifying inequalities symptomatic of our current economic distress. It presents a collection of essays by radical scholars working in the public interest to develop a critical analysis of recent global economic dislocations. Reitz presents a new foundation for emancipatory practice-a labor theory of ethics and commonwealth, and the collection breaks new ground by constructing a critical theory of wealth and work. A central focus is building a new critical vision for labor, including academic labor. Lessons are drawn to inform transformative political action, as well as the practice of a critical, multicultural pedagogy, supporting a new manifesto for radical educators contributed by Peter McLaren. The collection is intended especially to appeal to contemporary interests of college students and teachers in several interrelated social science disciplines: sociology, social problems, economics, ethics, business ethics, labor education, history, political philosophy, multicultural education, and critical pedagogy.

Acknowledgments Introduction. Crisis and Commonwealth: Politics, Pedagogy, Praxis Charles Reitz Chapter 1. The Political Economy of Predation and Counterrevolution: Recalling Marcuse on the Radical Goals of Socialism Charles Reitz and Stephen Spartan Chapter 2. Socialism One Sector at a Time Peter Marcuse Chapter 3. Charter 2000: A Transitional Program for Labor David Brodsky Chapter 4. "Vote for a Job"? A Short History of Contemporary Strategic Failure on the Organized Left, with Lessons for the Present Fred Whitehead Chapter 5. U.S. Capitalism and Militarism in Crisis? Our Political Work Today Douglas Dowd Chapter 6. Empire as a Way of Life: Course Outline and Bibliography John Marciano Chapter 7. Surplus Over-Appropriation and the Reproduction Crisis in the Western Roman Empire Stephen Spartan Chapter 8. An Essay on Repressive Education: Marcuse, Marx, Adorno, and the Future of Emancipatory Learning Arnold L. Farr Chapter 9. Can Democratic Education Survive in a Neoliberal Society? Henry A. Giroux Chapter 10. Defeating Corporate Blueprints, White Papers, and Blue Ribbon Task Forces: Academic Labor Reclaims Public Higher Education for the Public Patricia P. Brodsky Chapter 11. Art as a Manifestation of the Struggle for Human Emancipation: A Non-Dogmatic Marxist Position in Aesthetics Zvi Tauber Chapter 12. A Labor Theory of Ethics and Commonwealth: Recalling a "New" Marcuse Charles Reitz Chapter 13. Diversity, Equality, Empowerment in Politics and Education Charles Reitz Chapter 14. Cultural Origins of African Humanism and Socialism (Ujamaa) Alfred T. Kisubi Chapter 15. The Second Assassination of Dr. King Lloyd C. Daniel Chapter 16. Year Two of Arab Revolutions Kevin Anderson Chapter 17. Revolutionary Critical Pedagogy for a Socialist Society: A Manifesto Peter McLaren Chapter 18. The Communist Horizon Jodi Dean Conclusion. The Commonwealth Counter-Offensive Charles Reitz Appendix. Four Manuscripts on Value Theory, Humanism, and Socialism Herbert Marcuse Name Index Subject Index About the Contributors