Althusser

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A French Marxist philosopher known for his theories on ideology and the role of the state in society
2. His work emphasized the importance of understanding social structures and power dynamics
3. Associated with the notion of interpellation, which describes how individuals are shaped by ideological practices in society

Etymology: Louis Althusser never stood trial for the event that defined the last decade of his life. In November 1980, at his apartment at the École normale supérieure in Paris, he strangled his wife, Hélène Rytmann. He was declared unfit to stand trial and spent the rest of his life in psychiatric institutions, dying in 1990. His best-known work is the 1970 essay "Ideology and Ideological State Apparatuses." In it he argued that the state works not only through repressive institutions such as the police, courts and army, but also through ideological ones such as schools, churches, families and the media. These institutions shape people's beliefs and lead them to accept their place in society. Ideology, in his account, does not simply reflect reality. It turns individuals into subjects who recognise themselves in the roles it assigns.