Marcuse, Herbert (1898–1979)

Born to Jewish parents in Berlin, Herbert Marcuse came of age during World War I and served in the German Army. Becoming disillusioned with the internal politics of the military, he began pursuit of an academic career. After receiving his doctorate, Marcuse began a habilitation under Martin Heidegger, the preeminent German philosopher of that era. However, Marcuse left Freiburg in 1933 (largely due to Heidegger's affiliation with the National Socialist Party) and joined the Institut fur Sozialforschung, now frequently referred to as the Frankfurt school, where he developed enduring professional relationships with Theodor Adorno and Max Horkheimer. Marcuse fled Germany in 1934 and immigrated to the United States. He took a hiatus from scholarship in the 1940s and early 1950s, working for both the Office ...