Towards the end of the reading Althusser begins to define "ideology" on its own, general terms. He takes the example of the Christian religious ideology, which I find apt for illustrating the nuances of ideology. Applying this definition to various other types of ideologies, like democracy and capitalism, it seems relatively clear.
Althusser's definition of ideology is heavily reliant on the concept of "subject", such that the word "subject" is present in each of the 4 axioms he suggests as a definition of ideology.
- The interpellation of 'individuals' as subjects
- Their subjection to the Subject
- The mutual recognition of subjects and Subject, the subjects' recognition of each other, and finally the subject's recognition of himself
- The absolute guarantee that everything really is so, and that on condition that the subjects recognize what they are and behave accordingly, everything will be alright
Here I raise my point - what if we reject the existence of subjects? Buddhist philosophy denies the existence of a subject (in general) at all. Buddhism is inarguably an ideology; however, it treats the idea of "subject" as an illusion to be dispelled, because ultimately everything is one. A similar idea can be found in many spiritual philosophies, which deny the existence of "subjects" to various degrees. Does the term "ideology" still apply in the ultimate conception of such philosophies, and can Althusser's definition be modeled to fit?
Arthur,
ReplyDeleteGreat question! In fact, the "post-structuralist" philosophers following Althusser tried precisely to produce theories that would move beyond the concept of the subject. One often will hear the "death of the subject" as a refrain in these theoretical and philosophical positions. I think that Eastern philosophies played no small role in this rethinking. Not sure if we'll have a chance to discuss this in class, but you hit on something quite important. If we do away with the concept of the subject, are we making a revolutionary move against dominant ideological structures? This was the underlying political project of thinking beyond the subject.
Arthur,
ReplyDeleteGreat question! In fact, the "post-structuralist" philosophers following Althusser tried precisely to produce theories that would move beyond the concept of the subject. One often will hear the "death of the subject" as a refrain in these theoretical and philosophical positions. I think that Eastern philosophies played no small role in this rethinking. Not sure if we'll have a chance to discuss this in class, but you hit on something quite important. If we do away with the concept of the subject, are we making a revolutionary move against dominant ideological structures? This was the underlying political project of thinking beyond the subject.