Conclusion

In 1971 a German broadcaster attempted to organize a confrontation between the ‘grand old men’ of two influential philosophical currents: Karl Popper and Herbert Marcuse. ¹ It was a confrontation between social reform and social revolution. Marcuse had acquired worldwide fame as the theoretician of international left-wing protest. ² One of his well-known claims was that students would fulfil a crucial role in the social revolution. They would function as ‘catalysts’, ‘preparing the way for the revolutionary movement’. ³ At university the ‘frameworks’ for the society of the future are formed. The development of ‘critical thinking’ in these places is therefore a decisive factor. ⁴ We still hear an echo of this in today's student protests. Popper and Marcuse had previously met only fleetingly, never having a chance for discussion. ⁵ No meeting took place this time either; the interviewer met them in their homes and collected their answers.