On agressiveness. The critical theory’s view and its utopian imperfections

Abstract

The present paper is focused on the problem of aggressiveness in a Marcusianist account. Thus, the thesis is mainly this: in the contemporary society of opulence and of advanced industrialization, the social aggressiveness is not due “to some individual disorders and maladies, but to the normal functioning of the society”. Our contemporary society puts under a highest social pressure human beings, manipulating their instincts and natural needs. Aggressiveness will be intensified as a normal element in an “exterminating” struggle for existence. An expected conclusion will be that our reason will not accept the character of normality of opulent society in such terms without doubting. Consequently, we can understand aggressiveness (and the death instincts) as normal only if we postulate a funciary illness of our present society.