Abstract: Herbert Marcuse, a leading figure in Western Marxism, developed a series of mature and profound theoretical explorations on the technological dimension of advanced industrial society in North America. From the implicit thread of his thought, he believes that the essence of the technological problem in advanced industrial society lies in the suppression of technological rationality. Following the path of Max Weber, and within the tradition of the Frankfurt School’s critical theory, Marcuse elaborates on the alienated forms and impacts of technological rationality and points out that generating a new technological rationality requires breaking through the current paradigm of technological application; he emphasizes the employing of new technologies to shape new sensibilities and new rationalities. In terms of practical pathways, the current analysis of Marcuse’s technological emancipation path remains more focused on normative prescriptions (what ought to be) rather than empirical examinations of its actual implementation (what is). This paper argues that Marcuse emphasizes the need to reconstruct the technological production process through intervention and revolution, and achieve the integration of labor and leisure time. When the path of realistic revolution in the United States was blocked, he emphasized that social groups should intervene and transform aggressive and domineering technologies. This shift in thought also marks that his critical theory of technology gradually embraces a utopian direction. Theory must conform to the trends of the times, serve reality, and integrate with social development. A review of Marcuse’s critical theory of technology helps us better view and reflect on the new technologies that have emerged in line with the Fourth Industrial Revolution over the past decade. The challenge we face lies in how to maximize benefits and mitigate harms in the process of building a modernized powerhouse, thus minimizing the pains of technological development. On the one hand, it is necessary to have a thorough insight into the gains and losses of Western technology and critical theories of technology, further draw lessons and appreciate their theoretical insights. On the other hand, it is essential to construct a critical theory of technology with Chinese characteristics, rooted in Chinese civilization and the realities of Chinese society, continuously addressing technological issues in practice.

Key words: technology, critical theory of technology, leisure time