Description
Book SynopsisIn the last decade, there has been an international resurgence of interest in the philosophy of Louis Althusser. New essays, journalism, collections, secondary literature, and even manuscripts by Althusser himself are emerging, speaking in fresh ways to audiences of theorists and activists. Althusser is especially important in educational thought, as he famously claimed that school is the most impactful ideological state apparatus in modern society. This insight inspired a generation of educational researchers, but Althusser’s philosophy—unique in a number of ways, one of which was its emphasis on education—largely lost popularity. Despite this resurgence of interest, and while Althusser’s philosophy is important for educators and activists to know about, it remains difficult to understand. The Gold and the Dross: Althusser for Educators, with succinct prose and a creative organization, introduces readers to Althusser’s thinking. Intended for those who have never encountered Althusser’s theory before, and even those who are new to philosophy and critical theory in general, the book elaborates the basic tenets of Althusser’s philosophy using examples and personal stories juxtaposed with selected passages of Althusser’s writing. Starting with a beginner’s guide to interpellation and Althusser’s concept of ideology, the book continues by elaborating the epistemology and ontology Althusser produced, and concludes with his concepts of society and science. The Gold and the Dross makes Althusser’s philosophy more available to contemporary audiences of educators and activists.
Table of ContentsAcknowledgements Introduction General Plan and Purpose of This Book Althusser’s Context Althusser’s Life Author’s Context Note on Passages 1 A Beginner’s Guide to Interpellation Getting in Trouble At School Get with the Program Not Anything Impactful I Don’t Remember What I Learned in School Testing Where Did My Friends Go? Falling in Love Is Interpellation Passive? Ideology = Imagined Relations to Real Conditions Wings Race and Gender Reproduction Consent Individuality Images Being Guided Interpellation Machine Intersectionality Counter-Interpellation A Grain of Sand Hut A Play Our Society: Capitalism and Democracy 2 The Law of Dislocation Concrete-Real vs. Concrete-in-Thought Snakes, Ropes, and Concepts The Gold and the Dross Straying from Dislocation: Empiricism and Surplus Value Petty, Laplace, and Capital Vol. 1 Leaves, Monads, and Other Simple Internal Essences Shades of Hegel Expressivism: (Dig Here) Human Nature Concepts behind ‘Words’ A Theory of Reading: Listening to Silence 3 The Law of Uneven Development Every Thing Is a Mess The dsa Theory of Combination Theory of Formation Theory of Relative Autonomy Theory of Determination The Wrong Side of History Acorns Teleology on the Train Concepts of Structure: Captain Planet vs. Voltron The Two Laws: Three Reflections 4 Theory of Social Formations Geology as Analogy for Society Forces, Elements, and Variations in Society: Overview Economic Region Ideological Region Culture and Agency Repressive Region Thanksgiving The Three Social Forces: Productive, Reproductive, Repressive The Hut and the Theater Naked Capitalism Home Ownership Freedom An Allegory for Social Structure In the Last Instance: Theory of Moveable Types 5 Conclusion: Ideology, Truth, Science Ambivalence Truth as Correctness Gold Science as Sweet Science Afterword: Studying the Dross Tyson E. Lewis References Index
