Andrew Lamas – författare

“I believe that Marcuse’s ideas can be as valuable today as they were fifty years ago.”—Angela Y. Davis, from the forewordHerbert Marcuse was one of the twentieth century’s most unlikely pop stars: a celebrity philosopher. In the 1960s, his argument for a “principled utopianism” catalyzed the idealism of a rebellious generation, and Marcuse became an intellectual guide for activists and revolutionaries around the world.From his early studies with Martin Heidegger, to his flight from Nazi Germany with Frankfurt School colleagues, to his status as a countercultural icon, readers are introduced to the development of Marcuse's philosophical theories and the political realities that shaped his work.Marcuse's advocacy for a more humane, sustainable world was grounded in a personal knowledge of authoritarianism's violence, and the risk of its resurgence. Perennially relevant, radical, and inspiring, Marcuse’s concept of a "Great Refusal"—the protest against that which is—is a guide for our times.Praise for Herbert Marcuse, Philosopher of Utopia:"Nick Thorkelson's exploration of the ideas and personality of Herbert Marcuse is exactly the sort of comic book I have longed to read. It is engaging, artful, and explores the world of revolutionary ideas. Books like this keep the fire going inside."—Joe Sacco, author of Footnotes in Gaza"A warm, funny, richly detailed biography. Thorkelson has found a powerful graphic style and narrative voice that animate Marcuse's life and his theory of rebellion. As both personal saga and primer on radical political philosophy, it could not be more relevant to today's resistance movement."—Dan Wasserman, editorial cartoonist for The Boston Globe"Marcuse's energizing sense of critique, hope, politics, and utopian vision are more necessary than ever, especially for the emerging generations of young activists."—Henry A. Giroux, author of American Nightmare: Facing the Challenge of Fascism"A riotous romp through 20th-century philosophy. The story of a man who exists at the eye of storm of ideas, of movements and of social strategies. With workers and students on the streets of Paris once more, Marcuse's life and work has never been more relevant."—Kate Evans, author of Red Rosa: A Graphic Biography"Philosopher of Utopia is art on the attack! A perfect celebration of this unique public intellectual done through a fusion of skill and imagination, Thorkelson's book provides access to the genius and the grit of this master of the dialectic."—Lowell Bergman, Winner of the Pulitzer Prize and Distinguished Chair in Investigative Reporting at UC Berkeley"[This book] confirms my belief that our medium can convey the most complex ideas while being witty and entertaining at the same time."—Sharon Rudahl, author of A Dangerous Woman: A Graphic Biography of Emma Goldman

Herbert Marcuse examined the subjective and material conditions of radical social change and developed the "Great Refusal," a radical concept of "the protest against that which is." The editors and contributors to the exciting new volume The Great Refusal provide an analysis of contemporary social movements around the world with particular reference to Marcuse's revolutionary concept. The book also engages-and puts Marcuse in critical dialogue with-major theorists including Slavoj Žižek and Michel Foucault, among others.The chapters in this book analyze different elements and locations of the contemporary wave of struggle, drawing on the work and vision of Marcuse in order to reveal, with a historical perspective, the present moment of resistance. Essays seek to understand recent uprisings-such as the Zapatistas in Mexico, the Arab Spring, and the Occupy movement-in the context of Marcuse's powerful conceptual apparatus.The Great Refusal also charts contemporary social movements against global warming, mass incarceration, police brutality, white supremacy, militarization, technological development, and more, to provide insights that advance our understanding of resistance today.Contributors include: Kevin B. Anderson, Stanley Aronowitz, Joan Braune, Jenny Chan, Angela Y. Davis, Arnold L. Farr, Andrew Feenberg, Michael Forman, Christian Fuchs, Stefan Gandler, Christian Garland, Toorjo Ghose, Imaculada Kangussu, George Katsiaficas, Douglas Kellner, Sarah Lynn Kleeb, Filip Kovacevic, Lauren Langman, Heather Love, Peter Marcuse, Martin J. Beck MatuŠtÍk, Russell Rockwell, AK Thompson, Marcelo Vieta, and the editors.