Cultural Marxism is a Dangerous Threat that Subverts Western Society and Attacks Our Identity

May 22, 2025

Carlos Peruna Caluete, a political philosopher and author of "Metapolitics," explores the insidious implications of cultural Marxism. He discusses the Frankfurt School's influential thinkers like Adorno and Marcuse, who aimed to disrupt traditional identities. The conversation delves into the celebration of fatness as resistance against beauty standards, the complex relationship between cultural Marxism and liberalism, and the philosophical roots of Western identity. Caluete advocates for a deeper engagement with cultural history and the promotion of British heritage.

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INSIGHT

Frankfurt School's Cultural Subversion

The Frankfurt School sought to subvert existing social institutions through a blend of Marxist economics and Freudian psychology.
They aimed at psychological liberation and breaking down traditional forms to create new social orders.

INSIGHT

War on Coherence and Form

The Frankfurt School believed that coherent forms and hierarchies inherently exclude and oppress.
They associated any assertion of form or beauty with latent totalitarianism or fascism.

INSIGHT

Marxism Meets Freudian Psychology

The Frankfurt School reinterpreted Marxism by incorporating Freud to understand why fascism arose instead of communism in 1930s Germany.
They viewed psychological factors and culture as blocking revolutionary progress, not just economic conditions.

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Metapolitics

Peter Robert Edwin Viereck

Eros and Civilization

Herbert Marcuse

In this book, Herbert Marcuse integrates Freud's psychoanalytic theories with Marx's concepts of alienation and oppression to argue that modern capitalism prevents individuals from achieving true freedom. Marcuse examines the dialectical conflict between the 'life instinct' (Eros) and the 'death instinct' (Thanatos), and he proposes the idea of a 'non-repressive civilization' where the pleasure principle and the reality principle are reconciled. The book is a critical analysis of Western civilization, challenging the widespread repression of instincts and imagining a utopian society that emphasizes liberation and play[1][3][4].

The Open Society and Its Enemies

The Spell of Plato

Karl Popper

Written during World War II and published in 1945, 'The Open Society and Its Enemies' is a seminal work in political philosophy. Karl Popper critiques the theories of teleological historicism espoused by Plato, Hegel, and Marx, arguing that these theories undermine individual freedom and pave the way for authoritarian regimes. The book defends the open society and liberal democracy, emphasizing the importance of critical rationalism, individual freedom, and the ethos of scientific inquiry in politics. It also discusses the challenges facing open societies, including totalitarianism, dogmatism, and relativism, and advocates for a piecemeal approach to social reform.

Negative Dialectic

Adorno

Minima Moralia

Theodor Adorno

Minima Moralia is a philosophical masterpiece written by Theodor W. Adorno between 1944 and 1947. The book consists of 153 aphorisms and short essays that reflect on the nature of modern life, particularly under the conditions of late capitalism. Adorno critiques the alienation, conformity, and loss of individuality in modern society, arguing that the current societal conditions make it impossible to lead a genuine, fulfilling life. He explores themes such as the commodification of culture, the decline of critical thinking, and the erosion of personal relationships. The book is a critical examination of mid-20th century society, highlighting the malign effects of capitalism and the mechanisms of domination that underpin modern culture[1][2][3].