Marcuse, Herbert (1898-1979), German American philosopher, known as an incisive critic of the established order. Born in Berlin and educated at the Universities of Berlin and Freiburg, Marcuse emigrated to the United States after the Nazis took power in Germany in 1933. He maintained that the most effective challenge to the established order would come from students and minority groups and not from workers, who, he claimed, are committed to the status quo. His social philosophy is set forth in Eros and Civilization (1955).