Narcissus, Narcissism, Beauty

Marcuse diverges from the standard interpretation of the Narcissus myth, by positing that Narcissus is unaware that the object of his absorption, i. e. the image in the water, is him.  Consequently, he correlates that relation to a presumably external object in what Freud calls Primary Narcissism, which consists in an Ego-World connection that is ruptured in Secondary Narcissism, and, which, thus, provides Marcuse a ground for an incorporation of Freudianism into Marxism, i. e. in which Socialism can be constructed on the basis of Primary Narcissism.  Now, the flaw in Marcuse's interpretation of the myth is that it renders irrelevant the pre-condition of Narcissus' fate--his pride in his beauty.  However, that flaw is easily rectified, whether or not Marcuse approves.  For, as is implicit in that pre-condition, the object of Narcissus' love is not himself per se, but his beauty.  Accordingly, it is his love of Beauty, not his love of himself, that ultimately transfixes him, from which can be drawn a cautionart lesson about the Contemplation of Beauty, which is highly valued in both ancient and modern doctrines.  Thus, the myth can be invoked by Marxism, for which idle Contemplation might be one more counter-revolutionary opiate.  However, Freud's Primary Narcissism is, according to Marcuse, constituted by the Ego's contemplation of the World, and, thus is a target of the caution of the myth.  So, Marcuse can incorporate into Marxism either the myth or his interpretation of Freud's appropriation of it, but not both.