Althusser, Louis

(1918-1990)

   philosopher

   Best known for his views concerning the origin and developments of the theories of Karl Marx, Louis Althusser was born in Birmandreis, Algeria. A professor at the École Normale Supérieure, Althusser, in his many writings, proposed a traditional scientific reading of Marx, particularly of Capital, in place of the "ideologic" reading of the evolution and influence of that philosopher's theories. He viewed Marx's writings as consisting of two distinct stages— the early works of the humanistic and ideological young Marx, and a later, scientific phase, characterized by the revolutionary Capital. Between the two stages Althusser postulated an epistemological break, creating a more complex Marxian model. His most significant innovation regarding Marxism was his rejection of a strict economic determinism. He also posited that Marxism was not so much a moral philosophy as a humanistic science and, therefore, a purely theoretical doctrine. Althusser also defined the idea of an "ideological state apparatus." His principal writings include Pour Marx (1965), Lire le Capital (1965-68), Lénine et la philosophie (1969), and L'avenir dure longtemps, Journal de captivité (posthumous, 1994).