Political Theory 101 Althusser & Foucault, Ideology & Power
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Aug 28, 2023 Dive into the complexities of ideology with insights from Althusser and Foucault. Discover how ideological state apparatuses shape our identities, making us feel like we act freely. Examine the role of schools and families in reproducing societal norms. Explore Foucault's concept of governmentality and how it influences our everyday choices. The discussion critiques the limitations of individual agency and debates the possibility of escaping ideology's grasp. Enjoy a thought-provoking journey through power, knowledge, and societal structures.
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Subjects Formed By Institutional Rituals
- Althusser argues subjects are constituted by ideological state apparatuses like schools and churches rather than purely by coercion.
- Rituals and material practices in institutions train people to feel they've freely chosen their beliefs and actions.
Ideology Has A Material Side
- Ideology is material, not only discursive, because institutions sustain economic bases and shape embodied rituals.
- Schools and families reproduce practices that make individuals receptive to ruling-class ideology.
Althusser's State-Centric Critique Limits Civil Society
- Critics say Althusser's model erases autonomous civil society by treating many institutions as state apparatuses.
- That leaves little room for deliberative public spheres or independent social counterforces.
