Louis Althusser, a French philosopher, revolutionized Marxist theory with his structuralist approach. He challenged humanist Marxism by emphasizing the role of societal structures over individual agency in shaping consciousness. Althusser's concepts of Ideological State Apparatuses (ISAs) and interpellation explain how the state molds ideology to maintain capitalist systems.
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Althusser argued that economic and political structures play a decisive role in shaping human behavior and consciousness
Political Level
The political level, including the state and its apparatuses, has relative autonomy and can reciprocally affect the economic base
Ideological Level
The ideological level consists of dominant ideas and values that justify and perpetuate the existing social order
Althusser's model emphasizes the complexity of interactions between economic, political, and ideological levels in the reproduction of capitalist societies
RSAs, such as the government and military, maintain order through coercion
ISAs, including schools and media, transmit the dominant ideology to individuals, securing their consent to the social order
Interpellation is the process by which individuals are hailed into social roles and adopt corresponding beliefs and behaviors, perpetuating the conditions of capitalist societies
Through education, media, and cultural institutions, individuals internalize and enact behaviors that sustain the capitalist system
The internalization of ideology ensures the reproduction of the dominant social order with minimal use of force
Althusser's theory highlights the role of ISAs in shaping individual consciousness and their implications for understanding power, resistance, and the potential for social transformation
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______ ______ (______–1990) was a notable French thinker who contributed greatly to ______ theory.
Louis Pierre Althusser
1918
Marxist
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Althusser's concept of the economic base
Economic base comprises relations and forces of production; determinant in the last instance.
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Relative autonomy of superstructures
Political and ideological superstructures have their own agency and can influence the economic base.
