Description
Book SynopsisOften portrayed as an aloof philosopher, Louis Althusser's work on Niccolo Machiavelli reveals Althusser's deep commitment to political practice. Seeking to challenge the prevailing views on Althusser, Mikko Lahtinen argues that the French thinker cannot be understood from a purely philosophical perspective.
Table of ContentsForeword Author’s Preface to the English Edition Chapter 1 Introductory Comments 1.1 Althusser, Machiavelli and political theory 1.2 Althusser’s contribution to Machiavelli scholarship 1.3 The approach of the present study Chapter 2 A Critique of Hegelianism 2.1 A critique of Hegelian dialectics 2.2 Althusser’s Marxism 2.3. Althusser’s self-criticism 2.4. The ‘Machiavellian’ Lenin Chapter 3 Aleatory Materialism 3.1. Prologue: Machiavelli’s solitude 3.2. The underground current of the materialism of the encounter Chapter 4 Althusser’s Aleatory Machiavelli 4.1. A preliminary schema: the two dimensions of Machiavelli’s differentia specifica 4.2. Machiavelli’s differentia specifica in the history of political thought 4.3. The praxis of The Prince: the text as a political act 4.4. The praxis of the prince: the aleatory truth 4.5. The praxis of the prince: the project and strategy of the new prince 4.6. Epilogue: Althusser’s interpretation of Machiavelli Chapter 5 The Subversive Machiavelli 5.1. The art of war and the art of politics 5.2. The destructive current of fortuna 5.3. The aspects of fortuna 5.4. Lady fortuna and the young men 5.5. The rise and fall of Cesare Borgia 5.6. ‘A stable people’ 5.7. Epilogue: Machiavelli and the taming of chance Chapter 6 Conclusion References Index
