Eros and Civilization

"Eros and Civilization" is a book by the German philosopher and sociologist Herbert Marcuse. The text was first published in 1955, with the second edition dating back to 1966.

In this work, the author presents a model of a non-repressive society towards the individual, synthesizing the theories of Karl Marx and Sigmund Freud. Over the years, an interpretation has also been suggested that the work is influenced by Martin Heidegger. The title "Eros and Civilization" alludes to Freud's "Civilization and Its Discontents" (1930).

This is one of Marcuse's most well-known texts, as well as the book that propelled him to international fame. "Eros and Civilization" made a fundamental contribution to shaping the ideologies behind the subcultures of the 1960s.