PARTISAN REVIEW
399
the ground of the
satisfaction
of basic needs, that transcending needs
drive beyond the capitalist mode . of production: reduction and
eventual elimination of alienated labor ; self-determination as the
new way of life; new relationships. between men and women, be–
tween the generations, between man and .n ature. In short: socialism
as a
qualitatively
different society.
I tried to develop this
thes~s
in a forthcoming book. Here, I only
sketch it in order to show. that 1 do envisage the "opening" and dis–
integration of the one-dimensional society. . I believe that a Marxist
evaluation of the disintegrating forces calls for a reexamination
which would restore the dialectical character of the Marxian con–
cepts as against their pseudoorthodox ritualization and fetishization.
The Marxian concepts are, as dialectical concepts, historical ones; so
is
their object, the capitalist .society as a whole. Their dialectical
historical character demands the. development of their content in ac–
cord with, and in contradiction to, the actual development of society.
Such a theoretical development must, in order to be dialectical, de–
rive the new stage from the preceding. one, thus retaining the intent
and impetus of the original concept. .
2.
The second point I want to take. up is Goldmann's designa–
tion of my analysis as "eIitist/ ' culminating in the notion of a dicta–
torship of philosophers or sages. In. the postscript to
R epressive Tol–
erance
I said: "the alternative to the established semi-democratic
process is not a dictatorship or ;elite, no. matter how intellectual and
intelligent, but the struggle for a real democracy" (p.
122 )
8 -
which,
in my view, can only be a socialist democracy. Until this struggle is
won, until a revolutionary situation arises, -the main task
will
be
radical political education in ' theory and practice, to combat the
counterrevolution and to arouse the consciousness of the integrated
majority. This task would, quite logically, .be incumbent on non–
integrated minority groups, mainly among the young (workers and
intelligentsia, black and white). The socialist revolution can only
be carried by the majority of the people - this is a cornerstone of
Marxist theory. However, such a majority does not yet exist. Monop–
oly capital still has its large popular base; the capitalist dynamic
3. Robert P. Wolff, Barrington Moore, Jr., H erbert Marcuse,
A Critique
of Pure Tolerance
(Boston: Beacon Press, 1969 ).
