Critics On Louis Althusser's

The work by Louis Althusser begins with the description of the concept of the reproduction of the conditions of production. It focuses on the social formations, which the author claims are supported by this very concept, otherwise they would seize to exist. But we have to briefly explain what those reproductive forces are and why they are necessary in the society. First of all he states that people should reproduce the productive forces, but also the relations between those forces in order to maintain the established order. The reproduction of the means of production is also an essential part of the cycles in the life of the society. It means that goods have to be produced; goods of various kinds so that different manufacturing and service firms/plants keep up their work and do not let the economy stagnate because of lesser productivity. So we see that everything depends of each other and is something stops, it will cause damage in other spheres of existence. Another element of efficient societal functioning is the labor force reproduction, in other words people being born for the old generations to retire and new ones to take up their places. Althusser stresses the reproduction of the existing "relations" of production. In other words, the set of values, believes and customs, in which we people are submerged is such as to reproduce the existing relations of power through the preservation of the existing relations of exploitation between social classes which originates from the separation of labor performed by different class representatives. Society molds its people according to predetermined groups, spaces or functions formed by already existing relations of production. In this process of forming individuals society consequently attributes each one of us a certain identity.

The identity formulation itself takes places in certain environment and under particular circumstances. Those conditions in this paper are represented by the following definitions: Ideological State Apparatuses and the State Apparatus. Those terms are supposed to define what is ideology and how does it pervade the society and manipulates its perceptions of the surroundings. Althusser replaces the common "State apparatus" -defined primarily as the repressive power operated in the interests of the ruling classes - with a difference between an open Repressive State Apparatus (represented by the Government, Administration) and the various determining functions of religion, family, school, arts etc., which he calls the Ideological State Apparatuses.

The author distinguishes between the two, claiming that the repressive power or the State Apparatus is of public domain, so to speak under the governmental control in most instances. On the other hand the Ideological State Apparatus (ISA) is of private property. This relation could be argued about but, the private domain was mostly defined as such because it is not subjected to any law and thus cannot be controlled.

The important issue raised by Althusser is that of the predominance of schools as the ISA’s main power. He gives a persuasive support to this claim in a number of ways. First is the schools’ obligatory character, the fact that children spend eight to ten hours a day turn schools automatically in a superior channels for the reproduction of the relations of production, although family or communications or laws, could be as sufficient as schools. I believe that the reason why Althusser places schools’ importance above all the rest because character and personality traits are basically formed as school in younger ages, thus children are more receptive to outside influences than adults.

According to the author the outlay of an identity takes place according to a pre- established series of deeds or acts of identification in the values forced by the laws of religion, family, ethics, politics and such. The only way an individual can become a “subject” is by "subjecting" himself/herself (Althusser obviously takes advantage of the double meaning of the word as, subject being the one that performs the action, but also the one who is acted upon) to the formed set of values provided by these institutions. The person when coming into this world for instance is recognized or adopted by the society, by acquiring father’s last name.

When talking about ideology and it’s nature it is obligatory to note the following issues also described in Athusser’s work. He says that ideology is of pervasively unconscious character, which is innate in all the social procedures in which we people are born and live, and in the process of ascription of meaning. Althusser's essay approaches the problem with a uniquely systematizing meaning, and it offers no practical tools for the involvement into the present situation. This problem arises from the multiple natures of the Ideological Status Apparatuses. These are "in fact unified, despite its diversity and its contradictions, beneath the ruling ideology, which is the ideology of the ruling class"(146 p.), but at the same time understood as the site of class struggle (147p.). Althusser perceptive approach to the "social unconscious" examines the concrete political events and realities and even fights; primarily they take place at the infrastructure level, then looses its thrust, and lacks of functional implications /solutions. Unfortunately, his really appealing theory doesn't help find the solution to the problem of the exploitation of the oppressed class of people, and doesn't tell how to succeed with it. With that being said, however one cannot blame the author as in the concluding note he wrote that his work was merely hypothetical and leaving some questions still unanswered.

To summarize Althusser's essay we should comprehend what he meant by ideology in general. He claimed that it was mirror-structured consisting of four interrelated parts which sort of reflect each other. He enumerated them as follows: 1) interpellation of individuals as subjects; 2) their subjections to the subject;3) their mutual recognition, subject recognitions of each other and subject's recognition of itself; 4) finally the subject has to know and know all the rules and behaves accordingly, that guarantees everything to be great. This is the system according to which society and its members have to function and are currently doing so, in order for the products to be reproduced and working force to be provided promptly. It all depends on one another, as was said in the beginning of this paper; individuals are all connected, although at different level, the big picture shows that it’s necessary for world to function properly.