May ’68 and the One-Dimensional State

Abstract

This article draws out the link between the 1968 events, regional development and the Marcusian theories developed in his book One-Dimensional Man. Marcuse’s One-Dimensional Man is often perceived as encapsulating the underlying frustrations that drove the events of 1968 around the world with the German philosopher described by some as the "guru" of the New Left. In France the theories of Marcuse and in particular his 1964 text became popular in the aftermath of the upheaval as people sought to make sense of what had just happened. Focussing on the provincial revolts of Strasbourg and Brest, this article will provide one example of why this text was perceived as relevant to the situation in France and thus so popular.