Familiar with Marcuse's 'one dimensional man' ? Who would be the equivelant for the 21st century malaise ?

Question

ALthough I realise Marcuse was talking more on Marxist theory, it would appear that he and the movement he was part of had postulations aimed at stopping societies entropy.
Where theology is interesting, political and social theorists / philosophers acknowledged a more practical route for our hopes of society.
Nowadays we have Bradbury's Farenheight 451 coming true all around our reality obsessed world where the one dimensional man who desires 'fame' seems omnipresent.
Are there thinkers out there writing now postulating suggestions ?
A bibliography or pointers would be a great start.........

Answer 1

The world of the "social" is (at present) totally emersed in the "hyperreal". This phenomenon emerged in the late 20th. century, and is now the norm of early 21st. cent. "culture".
"One-dimensionality" (much extended) is still clearly recognizable as an essential mode of hyper-reality. It isn't just "man" but the whole of the "lived" world that now functions in "virtual" mode. All aspects of the "social" now lack any depth, appearing (and disappearing) instantaneously on a single flat surface : the SCREEN. A new middle Age(s) has emerged where the (lived) world is once again experienced as flat.
All reality (the social, the political, the sacred...) is experienced as "hype(er"). All "meaning" as understood by previous critiques has been exhausted.. Only the ecstacy of the image suffices to satisfy for an instant. The speed with which desire operates within the social is vertiginous. Some (social) critics predict the imminent implosion of this situation, while others predict even worse to come as the century proceeds, outlining scenarios that put even some of the most excessive science-fiction plots into the shade.

(Some) Rel. Reading / See JEAN BAUDRILLARD : Works (early to middle period : Late 60s-Early 90s)

The [recent] novels of J.G. BALLARD (e.g. both Cochaine Nights and Super-Cannes outline interesting horror scenarios of the social set in the [post]modern present).

Answer 2

Marxism is a one diamensional thinking.It has failed all over the world especially its place of birth in Russia.Modern man is a multi diamensional entity.Theory has lost its significance to explain social changes.

Answer 3

95% of the 21st century is ahead of us.