The Situationists, Marcuse and the "Great Refusal" of the "Hopeless Cases": The Socially Marginalized, Rebellion and Revolution

This article looks at two theories-developed (roughly speaking) during the same historical period (largely from the 1950s to the 1970s)-which deal with the issue of the socially marginalized, rebellion and revolution: that of the Situationist International and that of Herbert Marcuse. The article examines both the Situationists' and Marcuse's thought as regards the social structure of advanced capitalist society and the prospects for "proletarian" revolution in the United States and Europe. Further, the article compares and contrasts the Situationists' and Marcuse's ideas about revolution in the realm of culture. Finally, the article reflects on the relevance of Situationist and Marcusean ideas-concerning the "great refusal" of the "hopeless cases"-in the post-2008 period.