Louis Althusser Libros

What is to be done? This was the question asked by Lenin in 1901 when he was having doubts about the revolutionary capabilities of the Russian working class. 77 years later, Louis Althusser asked the same question. Faced with the tidal wave of May ‘68 and the recurrent hostility of the Communist Party towards the protests, he wanted to offer readers a succinct guide for the revolution to come. Lively, brilliant and engaged, this short text is wholly oriented towards one objective: to organise the working class struggle. Althusser provides a sharp critique of Antonio Gramsci’s writings and of Eurocommunism, which seduced various Marxists at the time. But this book is above all the opportunity for Althusser to state what he had not succeeded in articulating elsewhere: what concrete conditions would need to be satisfied before the revolution could take place. Left unfinished, it is published here in English for the first time.

Emerging from Althusser's most prolific period, this work is poised to become a classic in philosophical literature. It delves into his influential theories and concepts, offering profound insights that challenge traditional perspectives. Readers can expect a rigorous exploration of ideology, politics, and the structures that shape society, making it essential for anyone interested in critical theory and contemporary thought.

The book features three significant essays by Louis Althusser from the 1970s, each exploring self-criticism. The first addresses the political roots of Stalinism, linking it to a legacy of economism in the Second and Third Internationals. The second essay offers a critical reflection on Althusser's philosophical journey in the 1960s, including his engagement with structuralism. The final piece is an autobiographical account detailing his intellectual evolution from 1945 to 1975, presented during his doctoral ceremony at the University of Picardy.

Focusing on the early intellectual development of Louis Althusser, this collection showcases his writings before his break with Hegelian philosophy in 1953. It includes his influential essay "Ideology and Ideological State Apparatuses," providing a glimpse into his initial engagement with Hegel's ideas. The book highlights Althusser's complex relationship with humanist Marxism and the philosophical influences of Hegel and Catholicism that shaped his thought.

The classic analysis of how particular political and cultural ideas come to dominate society

The lectures on Rousseau's Discourse on the Origins of Inequality, delivered by Althusser in 1972, significantly influenced Rousseau scholarship by encouraging deeper exploration of his underlying concepts beyond mere metaphors. These insights reveal Althusser's early development of ideas related to aleatory materialism and a departure from strict historical determinism, laying the groundwork for a new philosophical approach to Marx. His interpretation emphasizes themes of void, accident, and the necessity of contingency within Rousseau's work.

A milestone in the development of post-war Marxist thought.This is the work in which Louis Althusser formulated some of his most influential ideas. For Marx, first published in France in 1968, has come to be regarded as the founding text of the school of “structuralist Marxism” which was presided over by the fascinating and enigmatic figure of Louis Althusser. Structuralism constituted an intellectual revolution in the 1960s and 1970s and radically transformed the way philosophy, political and social theory, history, science, and aesthetics were discussed and thought about. For Marx was a key contribution to that process and it fundamentally recast the way in which many people understood Marx and Marxism.This book contains the classic statements of Althusser's analysis of the young Marx and the importance of Feuerbach during this formative period, of his thesis of the “epistomological break” between the early and the late Marx, and of his conception of dialectics, contradiction and “overdetermination.” Also included is a study of the materialist theater of Bertolazzi and Brecht and the critique of humanist readings of Marxism. Since his death in 1990, Althusser's legacy has come under renewed examination and it is increasingly recognized that the influence of his ideas has been wider and deeper than previously thought: reading For Marx, in its audacity, originality and rigor, will explain why this impact was so significant.

This work represents a significant shift in French intellectual thought, challenging traditional interpretations of Marx. It offers a fresh perspective that re-evaluates Marxist theory, encouraging readers to reconsider established beliefs and engage with new ideas. The text is pivotal for those interested in philosophy, political theory, and the evolution of Marxist thought.

Louis Althusser est devenu célèbre en publiant en 1965 Pour Marx et Lire Le Capital. Mais l'éclat de cette pensée fondatrice d'école ne doit pas faire oublier qu'elle ne fut qu'un moment d'un itinéraire philosophique. Pratiquement inconnus jusqu'alors, les écrits de jeunesse de Louis Althusser sont marqués par un double passage de Hegel à Marx et du catholicisme au communisme. Publiés ici dans leur quasi-totalité, ils comprennent notamment des libellés aux titres évocateurs : L'internationale des bons sentiments et Sur l'obscénité conjugale, un mémoire universitaire passionnément hégélien et une longue lettre à Jean Lacroix qui éclairent bien des renversements ultérieurs. La seconde partie de ce volume met en évidence la complexité largement méconnue des textes écrits par Althusser au cours des années 1970, placés d'emblée sous le signe de la crise : crise personnelle, mais aussi crise de la théorie marxiste longuement analysée par le texte qui domine cette période : Marx dans ses limites. Dans ses derniers écrits, après 1980, Louis Althusser tente d'arracher à la nuit une réflexion sur ce qu'il appelle désormais " matérialisme de la rencontre ", puis " matérialisme aléatoire ". Il y est question de vide et de train qui ne mène nulle part.

Herausgegeben und eingeführt von Oliver Corpet und Yann Moulier Boutang, übersetzt aus dem Französischen von Hans-Horst Henschen. Das Buch umfasst 412 Seiten.