Consumerism under critique: A comparative study of Herbert Marcuse and Abdelwahab el-Messiri

The contemporary world has witnessed a significant increase in consumerism as a direct result of the development of the capitalist system, triggering a wave of intellectual critique in both the East and the West. The epistemological backgrounds underlying these critiques also vary, the most prominent of which has been leftist criticism, particularly Herbert Marcuse. Herbert Marcuse offered a critique of capitalism and consumer society and developed key concepts such as "false needs" and the "one-dimensional human" as fundamental concepts for understanding consumerism in contemporary society. On the other hand, El-Messiri, a former Marxist, also offered a significant critique of consumerism. However, his critique is based on ideas with a clear Islamic religious dimension. His critique is based on the replacement of the Western intellectual system with a new one that does not focus solely on the material aspect of humanity. This thesis aims to compare Marcuse's critical approach to consumerism with El-Messiri's critique of the same idea. The thesis highlights similarities and differences, while also considering the epistemological and intellectual differences that give rise to these differences. The thesis concludes that consumerism is not a natural consequence of abundance, but a social and cultural project based on the creation of desires and the subjugation of humanity. While Marcuse exposes mechanisms of control through false needs and a one-dimensional human, El-Messiri explains that the roots of the problem lie in a materialist intellectual and moral framework that reduces humans and nature to mere tools for use. The thesis then calls for the construction of an interpretive framework that combines Marcuse's tools of liberation and El-Messiri's moral compass to resist consumerism and formulate a more meaningful life.