Literary Theory - Althusser - "Ideology and Ideological State Apparatuses"

Louis Althusser

1.     From “Ideology and Ideological State Apparatuses.”

a.     The best form of production is to reproduce the conditions that production. 

b.     All social formations are derived from a dominant group.

                                               i.     The dominant group sets forth the standards for production.

                                             ii.     The standards include the conditions to repeat the cycle and leaving the dominant group in power.

1.     It must reproduce the productive forces, and

2.     The existing relations of the production.  Or, how people identify and interact with their jobs.

c.     Wages – A way to give labor a way to meet their needs.

                                               i.     Wages allow a worker to meet essential needs so they can work again. 

                                             ii.     Wages allow a worker to give their kids similar education that the worker has.

d.     The educational system is reproducing more of the skilled labor.

                                               i.     Children learn basic skills as “know-how.”

                                             ii.     Children learn rules of good behavior.

1.     Morality,

2.     Civic and professional conscience,

3.     Rules of respect,

4.     And rules or order or class domination.

e.     Reproduction of labor requires:

                                               i.     Reproduction of skills.

                                             ii.     Reproduction of submission to the ruling class.

f.      Marx’s structure:

                                               i.     Infrastructure is the economic base.

                                             ii.     Superstructure is two levels consisting of:

1.     The political and legal arena and

2.     Ideology such as religious or ethical.

                                            iii.     The superstructure is dependent on the infrastructure for support.

g.     The State is a repressive apparatus.

                                               i.     It ensures the repression of the workers to ensure the domination of the ruling class.

h.     Distinction between State power and an apparatus.

                                               i.     State power is an objective of the controlling class.

                                             ii.     An apparatus is a too to achieve the objective of the controlling class.

                                            iii.     The working class must seize State power in order to dominate the ruling class.

i.      Distinction between the State apparatus and Ideological State apparatus.

                                               i.     State apparatus contains the offices of government administration.  Army, law enforcement, criminal justice, etc.

                                             ii.     Ideological State apparatus contains the groups that want to exert control over the State apparatus.

1.     Religious, educational, trade unions, political parties, etc.

                                            iii.     The State apparatus is in the public domain, is above the law, and functions through violence.

                                            iv.     The Ideological State apparatuses is in the private domain, and functions through ideology.

j.      How the State reproduces its relations, or, how it stays and transfers power to itself.  The State apparatus:

                                               i.     Uses repression and ideology,

                                             ii.     Is organized under a central command.

                                            iii.     Is governed by the ruling class.

                                            iv.     Contributes to its own support.

                                             v.     Uses force to control Ideological State apparatuses.

k.     Educational Ideological State apparatuses (ISA) is instilled as the dominant apparatus in a mature capitalistic society.

                                               i.     All ISAs contribute to aspects of society and education.

                                             ii.     The school takes kids, when they’re young and vulnerable, and ‘squeezes’ them between family and educational ISAs.

                                            iii.     Educational level will determine the level of employment a work.

l.      Ideology isn’t real.  It’s external to reality and imaginary.

m.   Ideology has a history, just not of it’s own.

n.     Ideology describes the condition of men, not of the real world.

Works Cited

Athusser, Louis, T.S.  “Ideology and Ideological State Apparatuses.”  The Norton Anthology of Theory and Criticism.  Ed. Vincent B. Leitch et al.  2^nd ed. New York: W.W.Norton & Co., 2010. 1335-1361. Print.