Louis Althusser (Routledge Critical Thinkers)

✍ Scribed by Luke Ferretter

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2006
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 176
• Series: Routledge Critical Thinkers
• Edition: 1
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

Best known for his theories of ideology and its impact on politics and culture, Louis Althusser revolutionized Marxist theory. His writing changed the face of literary and cultural studies, and continues to influence political modes of criticism such as feminism, postcolonialism and queer theory. Beginning with an introduction to the context of Marxist theory, this book goes on to explain: * how Althusser interpreted and developed Marx’s work * the political implications of reading * ideology and its significance for culture and criticism * Althusser’s aesthetic criticism of literature, theatre and art. Placing Althusser’s key ideas in the context of earlier Marxist thought, as well as tracing their development and impact, Luke Ferretter presents a wide-ranging yet accessible guide, ideal for those new to the work of this influential critical thinker.

✦ Table of Contents

Half Title: Louis Althusser......Page 2
Series Title: Routledge Critical Thinkers......Page 3
Title Page......Page 4
Copyrights......Page 5
Dedication......Page 6
Contents......Page 8
Series Editor’s Preface......Page 9
Acknowledgements......Page 13
Why Althusser......Page 14
Key Ideas......Page 22
1. The Cornerstones: Marx and the Theory of Culture......Page 24
The Materialist Conception of History......Page 25
Ideology......Page 29
Bourgeoise and Proletariat......Page 33
Marx's Early Humanism......Page 35
Summary......Page 39
Marxist Humanism......Page 40
Structuralism......Page 43
Problematics......Page 46
The 'Epistemological Break'......Page 49
The Science of History......Page 52
Practice......Page 59
Althusserian Literary Criticism......Page 60
Summary......Page 62
3. The Politics of Reading: Essays on Interpretation......Page 64
Symptomatic Reading......Page 65
Macherey: Text and Ideology......Page 72
Symptomatic Literary Criticism......Page 76
The Class Struggle in Theory......Page 82
Summary......Page 86
An Imaginary Relationship to Reality......Page 88
Saving Private Ryan......Page 94
Ideological State Apparatus......Page 95
Ideology Has a Material Existence......Page 99
Ideology Interpellates Individuals as Subjects......Page 100
The Subjects of Realism......Page 104
Summary......Page 107
Althusser's Aesthetics......Page 108
Materialist Theatre......Page 111
The Structure of Alienation......Page 116
Art and Ideology......Page 119
Summary......Page 122
6. Posthumous Confessions: The Future Lasts a Long Time......Page 124
'Brief History of a Murdered'......Page 125
Self-Analysis......Page 126
Reading the Symptoms......Page 128
Political Reflections......Page 132
After Althusser......Page 136
'Althusserianism'......Page 137
Macherey: Literature as an Ideological Form......Page 138
Terry Eagleton: Beyond Textual Science......Page 142
Screen: Cinema and the Subject......Page 147
Raymond Williams: Cultural Materialism......Page 150
Works by Althusser......Page 158
Marx......Page 161
Works on Althusser......Page 162
Althusserian Literary Theory and Criticism......Page 164
Works by Louis Althusser......Page 168
Other Works......Page 169
Index......Page 172