Ep. 372: Louis Althusser und die ideologischen Staatsapparate
Summary
In this episode, Ole Nymon and Wolfgang M. Schmidt analyze Louis Althusser’s 1970 text on ideology and state apparatuses. They discuss how the school functions as the dominant ideological apparatus, reproducing capitalist subjects by instilling submission and qualifications. The hosts critique Althusser’s reliance on economic determinism and his vague concept of "subjectivation," arguing that his theory lacks concrete analysis of how specific ideologies take hold. They conclude by identifying these abstract schematics as a general weakness in Marxist theory, which often prioritizes philosop…
Topics discussed
Introduction to Althusser's theory on the school
Promotion of bonus content and events
Context of the 1970 text and reproduction of conditions
Critique of Althusser's misquotation of Marx
Defining productive forces and labor power reproduction
Production relations and ideological submission
Repressive vs. Ideological State Apparatuses
Examples of ISAs and their non-state nature
Class struggle within Ideological State Apparatuses
Debate on the clarity of the ISA concept
The school as the dominant Ideological State Apparatus
Critique of the lack of concrete school analysis
Subjectivation and the ritual of interpellation
Why ideologies take hold: content vs. form
The base and superstructure debate in Marxism
Althusser's limitations and economic determinism
General critique of Marxist schematism
Upcoming events and closing remarks
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