Althusser
did a good job in summarizing the abstract concept of ideologies and how they
work. The particular line that stuck out to me was: “What is represented in
ideology is…not the system of the real relations which govern our existence of
individuals, but the imaginary relation of those individuals to the real
relations in which they live (Althusser 1970; pg 44).” I.e. ideologies aren’t
real, they are an imaginary guideline to live on, a construct of our material
reality rather than a representation of anything real (Althusser 1970; pg 45).
One way of looking thinking about this can be seen in the idea that religion is
a construct of man (No offence to anyone of any religion, I’m just referencing
to a belief that some people hold).
Althusser’s
writing on ideology are a bit unnerving when paired with Marx’s and Engels’ vendetta
against the ruling classes of society. Marx and Engels proposes a concept
saying “…the class which is the ruling material
force of society is at the same time ruling intellectual force (Marx & Engels 1846; pg 39)”. So, if
ideologies are intellectual material constructions as Althusser proposes, then
do the ideologies we hold as citizens nothing more than the intellectual force
imposed upon us by the ruling class, ideologies and intellectual constructs
that only express the ideas and values of its own domination (Marx and Engels
39)? Are we as people just perpetuating the ideals of the ruling class, fueling
the bourgeoisie machine through the state apparatuses?
However,
there is one thing I’m curious about. You break through the apparatuses, and prevent
the general interests from becoming the ruling class and perpetuating the
cycle. How do you go about finding the truth and the real of ideology?
Furthermore, once you find this truth, what do you do then? What if it’s
something we can’t agree on, that the system we have now is actually better
compared to the truth? I suppose therein lies the point of modernism, just do
it anyway. At least go forward and see it rather than live within an ideology,
ignorant of what lies beyond.
You bring up some interesting points Ardel! I agree with you that is disconcerting that ideologies are construct which are imposed on us by the ruling class. The other day I had a flashback to one of my friends whose parents are conservative and do not believe in high taxes because they believe the poor will take advantage of those who work hard. Interestingly enough, they were not even particulary wealthy. They just happened to adopt the bourgeoisie's interests of not taxing the rich. My friend seemingly also adopted this mentality and was unable to recognize the ways in which paying taxes contributes to a more equal community. People can not see beyond what they have been told; in this case my friend could not see beyond the notion that the poor are lazy and only want to free load off your taxes. She said that she did not want to pay for public school's because they are not her problem. I told her that since she may not be paying for others' education, she may end up paying for their incarceration in the future. This was several years ago when we were both in middle school and fortunately over time she has been able to step outside of this ideology and gain greater class consciousness.
ReplyDeleteYour final paragraph in which you questioned what happens after we break through the apparatuses also ran through my mind after I read this week's readings. Marx did indeed state that once the proletariat rebelled and succeeded in dismantling the bourgeoisie, they rose above and became the new bourgeoisie achieved "domination only on a broader basis than that of the class ruling previously" (40). He claimed that in order to terminate the inequalities of the capitalist society, the proletariat would have to not only dismantle the bourgeoisie ruling class, but also a communist system rooted in common ownership and lack of economic classes.
I think that your question "What if it’s something we can’t agree on, that the system we have now is actually better compared to the truth?" could be applied to the consideration of implementing communism. Not only is a communism (and even socialism) a dirty word and looked at as the enemy by the U.S., but perhaps even if we were to give it a chance, it may not be realistic and turn out to be worse than our current capitalist society.
Perhaps things are not as black and white as they may seem and we need to start exploring the grey areas. I thought your point about religion was interesting, considering that Marx called religion 'the opiate of the masses." Maybe religion can be used as an example in exploring the grey areas. In Western Society, most people were either religious or atheist with no in between. Nowadays, people are accepting the ambiguities and uncertainties of the universe and embracing a more spiritual or agnostic outlook.
Would it be possible to do the same with other spheres in which ideologies are present? Could we explore the grey areas in between capitalism and communism? Can we indeed come out of false consciousness?
Perhaps, forward is the only way to go, even if its full of uncertainty.