Part 8/15:
A pivotal figure in this ideological transformation is Herbert Marcuse, a German-American philosopher from the Frankfurt School. Rufo explains how Marcuse provided the philosophical backbone for leftist activism by rationalizing revolutionary violence and censorship of conservative thought.
Marcuse’s controversial idea was that "tolerance" must be defined selectively—tolerant of leftist ideas, intolerant of conservative or reactionary viewpoints. He advocated for a dictatorship of the intellectuals, arguing that free speech should be curtailed to prevent conservative ideas from challenging revolutionary progress. This philosophy justified suppressing dissent under the guise of social liberation.