Althusser without Lacan?
Restoring Marxist Ideology Critique
Althusser’s theory of ideology is deeply indebted to Lacan’s theory of the “four discourses” and history, but I want to argue that this debt has had negative effects on the wider project of Marxist ideology critique. Althusser’s theory of ideology can, and often is, read in a universalist and ahistorical account of subjection and alienation that strips Marxist analysis of an account of ideology rooted in processes of socialization and class antagonism.
At the same time, some students of Althusser, most notably Michel Pêcheux, move beyond these idealist blind spots that other Althusserian philosophers, most notably Žižek and Laclau, have adopted. In this forthcoming talk, hosted by Lacan Link, I will explore Michel Pêcheux’s work and draw up a balance sheet on the legacy of Althusserian accounts of ideology.1 I will conclude with an analysis of the best means for preserving and appropriating Althusser's insights for Marxist ideology critique today.
Please RSVP for this conference on November 2nd, my talk will take place at 11 am EST.
My talk will build on this presentation of Lacanian theories of ideology, “Is Lacanian Ideology Theory Passive?”