Louis Althusser
Paperback | Pages: 272 pages Rating: 3.94 | 1521 Users | 41 Reviews
Mention Out Of Books Lenin and Philosophy and Other Essays
| Title | : | Lenin and Philosophy and Other Essays |
| Author | : | Louis Althusser |
| Book Format | : | Paperback |
| Book Edition | : | Special Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 272 pages |
| Published | : | November 13th 2001 by Monthly Review Press (first published 1968) |
| Categories | : | Philosophy. Theory. Politics. Nonfiction. Writing. Essays |
Representaion During Books Lenin and Philosophy and Other Essays
No figure among the western Marxist theoreticians has loomed larger in the postwar period than Louis Althusser. A rebel against the Catholic tradition in which he was raised, Althusser studied philosophy and later joined both the faculty of the Ecole normal superieure and the French Communist Party in 1948. Viewed as a "structuralist Marxist," Althusser was as much admired for his independence of intellect as he was for his rigorous defense of Marx. The latter was best illustrated in For Marx (1965), and Reading Capital (1968). These works, along with Lenin and Philosophy (1971) had an enormous influence on the New Left of the 1960s and continues to influence modern Marxist scholarship.This classic work, which to date has sold more than 30,000 copies, covers the range of Louis Althusser's interests and contributions in philosophy, economics, psychology, aesthetics, and political science.
Marx, in Althusser's view, was subject in his earlier writings to the ruling ideology of his day. Thus for Althusser, the interpretation of Marx involves a repudiation of all efforts to draw from Marx's early writings a view of Marx as a "humanist" and "historicist."
Lenin and Philosophy also contains Althusser's essay on Lenin's study of Hegel; a major essay on the state, "Ideology and Ideological State Apparatuses," "Freud and Lacan: A letter on Art in Reply to Andr� Daspre," and "Cremonini, Painter of the Abstract." The book opens with a 1968 interview in which Althusser discusses his personal, political, and intellectual history.
Present Books Concering Lenin and Philosophy and Other Essays
| Original Title: | Lénine et la Philosophie |
| ISBN: | 1583670394 (ISBN13: 9781583670392) |
| Edition Language: | English |
Rating Out Of Books Lenin and Philosophy and Other Essays
Ratings: 3.94 From 1521 Users | 41 ReviewsCriticism Out Of Books Lenin and Philosophy and Other Essays
The overarching concept of "ideology as having no history" strikes me as idealist and metaphysical.Excellent set of essays: of course the Ideology and Ideological State Apparatus is a Marxist classic (as it should be, pretty tough going but intuitive once you understand I think). But I really enjoyed his Lenin and Philosophy and Lenin and Hegel articles. The writing in every article except ISA one is written very clearly and concisely, maybe a little college education is required but not much - this is probably about as clear as Marxist(-Leninist) theory gets. The ISA article is much tougher
I love this guy. Hard to think of any piece of writing thats influenced the way I think about the world more than "Ideology and Ideological State Apparatuses". When I read Althusser, I have a real sense of interacting with someone I really understand. Given that he was a pathologically self-doubting psycho who died in a mental ward, I'm not sure thats a good sign.
I disagree with the structural, "scientific" Marxism that Althusser pursues, but some of his observations-- especially those on the formation, dissemination, and cementation of ideologies-- ring true, and help to explain some of the fulsome phenomena that accompany capitalist society. While I strongly disagree with orthodox Marxism, it's still interesting, radical, and thought-provoking.
much of interest here, but most people read it for the very famous essay on ideological state apparatuses, which, of course, if one has not read it, one must be a philistine or a barbarian or a fascist or something.One of the all-time great re-urgings of marxism, up there with Gramsci, Adorno & Horkheimer, Voloshinov.
The question that any reviewer of a book ought to ask is: Why should I read this book instead of all the other books? Even on obscure subjects, many books exist. So, why should I read Lenin and Philosophy instead of all the other books?It pains me to say that you probably shouldn't. If you are interested in what I understand as Post-Marxism, you should read For Marx. It's better. There is more in the way of philosophy, and there are better essays.Likely, I would rate this book as 3 1/2 stars.
Hardcore Structural Marxism.
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