Herbert Marcuse (1898-1979) is known to many as a leading figure of 1960s counterculture, and a "Guru of the New Left." However, the deeper philosophical background to Marcuse's thought is often forgotten, especially his significant engagement with German idealism, ancient philosophy, and a broad spectrum of problems and issues from the philosophical tradition.

This much-needed book introduces and assesses Marcuse's philosophy and is ideal for those coming to his work for the first time. Jacob McNulty covers the following topics:

• Marcuse's life and the background to his thought, including his formative period as a student of Husserl and Heidegger and as a philosopher in Horkheimer's Institute
• Marcuse's recasting of metaphysics in light of Marxian and Freudian thought
• Marcuse and German idealism, especially the role of Kant and Hegel
• Marcuse's philosophy of human nature, his use of the late Freud's ideas of Eros and Thanatos
• Marcuse as a critic of state and monopoly capitalism
• Meaning, propaganda, and ideology: the political implications of language and also the centrality of free speech
• Marcuse's aesthetics
• Marcuse's legacy and his relationship to contemporary analytical philosophy (especially "analytic critical theory").

An outstanding and engaging introduction to a central figure in twentieth-century radical thought, Marcuse is essential reading for those in philosophy and related disciplines including political theory, sociology, and media and communication studies.