Editing Neo-Marxism (section)

=== [[File:StructMarx.png]] Structural Marxism ===
'''Structural Marxism''' is a branch of Marxist philosophy associated with Louis Althusser and his followers. It gained traction in France during the 1960s and 1970s and influenced thinkers globally. Althusser emphasized Marxism as a scientific analysis of objective structures, contrasting it with earlier, more ideological forms. In the 1970s and 1980s, structural Marxists analyzed the state, law, and crime through a structuralist lens. Unlike instrumental Marxists who see the state serving the capitalist class directly, structuralists argue that state institutions uphold capitalism as a whole. This led to debates, notably the Miliband–Poulantzas debate, between instrumentalists like Ralph Miliband and structuralists like Nicos Poulantzas. Structuralists see the state's function not determined by specific elites but by the logic of capitalist structure ingrained in its institutions. Thus, they argue that state institutions serve the long-term interests of capital and capitalism, rather than the short-term interests of individual capitalists.

==== Epistemological Break ====
Althusser says people have misunderstood Marx. He thinks Marx's ideas are revolutionary, especially his view on how society changes. Althusser believes Marx's work has a big change in thinking, especially in "The German Ideology". He thinks Marx didn't fully get how important his own ideas were. Althusser's job is to help people understand how cool Marx's ideas are, even the stuff he didn't directly say.

Althusser says Marx's work is different from other stuff before because it rejects the idea of a clear separation between what we know and what's out there. Instead of saying we just see things as they are, Marx says we make knowledge through thinking. Althusser calls this "theoretical practice". He thinks Marx's ideas are like making something new out of old stuff.

Althusser also says Marx has ideas that don't match with older ways of thinking, like in economics. Marx's ideas about how societies work are different because they look at the whole picture, not just individual needs. He says Marx's ideas are powerful because they explain how everything fits together in society, not just money stuff.

Even though Althusser talks about a big change in Marx's thinking, he also says it's not so clear when it happened. He thinks Marx's later writings still have some old ideas mixed in. He says Marx's ideas are always fighting against old ways of thinking. So, even though Marx had a big change in his thinking, it's not like everything suddenly became different.

==== Practices ====
Althusser says Marx believed people are shaped by society, so it's not useful to base social theories on ideas about individuals. Instead of focusing on individuals, Marx looked at how society is structured. He saw society as made up of fixed "practices" rather than just individual actions. People are not the ones making history, but they support these practices.

Althusser defends Marx's ideas against the criticism that they oversimplify society by focusing too much on the economy. He argues that Marx didn't see society as just built on an economic base with culture and politics on top. Instead, Althusser says Marx saw these parts of society as connected and influencing each other. Economic practices, for example, involve many different things like resources, tools, and people working together.

Althusser sees society as made up of different "practices" like economics, ideology, and politics, which are all connected. Even though each practice has its own importance, they all depend on each other. For example, the economy can't function without laws and political systems to support it, and vice versa. So, for Althusser, understanding society means seeing how all these parts work together.

==== Contradiction and Overdetermination ====
Althusser explains how society works and changes through interconnected practices. He uses Lenin's analysis of the Russian Revolution to show that social change is more than just one contradiction. Instead, it involves many contradictions within a social system. These contradictions interact in complex ways, leading to unexpected changes. Althusser calls this "overdetermination." Economic practice, like capitalism, is the main driver of these changes and dominates other aspects of society. Unlike Hegel, who sees history as driven by a single essence, Althusser believes each society is made up of many interconnected parts without a single central point.

==== Ideological States Appartuses ====
Althusser believed that who we are—our desires, choices, and beliefs—are shaped by society's practices. In capitalist societies, people see themselves as independent individuals with thoughts and responsibilities, but Althusser says this idea is learned, not innate. Society teaches us our roles and limits through things like work and family. Our values and beliefs come from what Althusser calls "ideological practice," like family, media, and education. Even though ideologies change, their function stays the same: to make us see ourselves as subjects with specific roles. Althusser explains this with the idea of "hailing," like when a policeman calls out to someone on the street. When we respond, we're accepting our role as a subject, even if we don't realize it. Althusser says we can't see ourselves outside of ideology; it shapes how we act and see the world. This idea is similar to Lacan's Mirror Stage, where people form their identities by seeing themselves reflected in society's beliefs and practices.

==== Aleatory Materialism ====
In some papers written between 1982 and 1986, Althusser criticizes how Marxism is connected to dialectical materialism and materialist philosophy in general. Instead, he introduces a new idea called the Philosophy of the Encounter, later called Aleatory Materialism. Althusser believes that thinkers like Marx, Democritus, Epicurus, and others already hinted at this idea. He argues against the idea that history follows strict laws like physics, saying that history is more about chance events than predetermined rules. Instead of focusing on general laws, Althusser says we should look at specific historical moments, called conjunctures, where political action can make a difference. Aleatory Materialism is about understanding these moments in history from a materialist perspective.