Marx and Althusser, Pre-Class, 3/17, meg143

Ideology is defined in a number of different ways. Marx and Althusser are two theorists who have very in depth views about the significance of ideology in our society today. Marx writes, “It is not the consciousness of people that determines their being, but, on the contrary, their social being that determines their consciousness” (37). Marx continues his definition of ideology in relation to the ruling class or hegemony. “The ruling ideas are nothing more than the ideal expression of the dominant material relations, the dominant material relations grasped as ideas; hence of the relations which make the one class the ruling one, therefore the ideas of it’s dominance” (39). This definition seemed a little wordy but explains how the ruling class rules the material force of society, which in turn allows them to rule the intellectual force of society, creating an ideology. Althusser defines ideology through the Ideological State Apparatuses. He defines these ISA’s as, “A certain number of realities which present themselves to the immediate observer in the form of distinct and specialized institutions” (42). ISA’s include the religious, educational, family, legal, political, cultural etc. He continued to describe that the opposite of an ISA is an RSA, a Repressive State Apparatus, which he feels functions by violence, and contains the Government, the Army, the Administration, the Police, the Courts, the Prisons etc. Althusser believes that ISA’s are private and there is a plurality to them, whereas RSA’s are public and consist of one. Both Marx and Althusser have very interesting insight into ideology and it’s role in society.