Marcuse was not the first Marxist to formulate theories of the integration of the working class and capitalist stabilization, but few other avowed Marxists have presented such a theory so bleakly and bluntly. Marcuse's dilemma was that he wanted at the same time to remain a Marxist, be loyal to the project of critical theory developed by the Institute for Social Research, and be an independent thinker. In view of his writings and activity both before and after the publication of ODM, it is clear that he revently desired total revolution, described as a radical upheaval and overthrow of the previously existing order, bringing about wide-ranging changes that would eliminate capitalism and establish revolutionary socialism. As noted, Marcuse has told me that his experiences in the German Revolution of 1918 gave him a sense that genuine revolution was characterized by a totality of upheaval — a view articulated at the time by Rosa Luxemburg, whom Marcuse greatly admired and who decisively influenced his concept of revolution.¹ Consequently, with such a totalistic concept of revolution, any reforms or social change that did not lead to an overthrow of capitalism only impressed Marcuse as a cosmetic improvement of the existing system.²