“For each new class which puts itself in the place of the one ruling before it is compelled, merely in order to carry through its aim, to present its interest as the common interest of all the members of society, that is, expressed in ideal form: it has to give its ideas the form of universality, and present them as the only rational, universally valid ones” (Marx 40).
The ruling class unfortunately gets to create ideologies for the society it rules. The public perceives these ideologies as universal, which means people believe it affects them personally. It is disheartening to think that material power (Money) can lead to intellectual power, but that is essentially the situation in most societies. Money talks, as they say. Money controls societies by placing forth these ideologies that people must follow. The ruling class is dynamic, though, which means it changes hands throughout history. Because it changes, ideologies change slightly over time as well. The problem I see with ideologies is it interpellates individuals as subjects, as Althusser mentions. People are no longer identified as individuals, but rather as subjects of a whole. This is troubling because people end up conforming to society, and lose their individuality in a sense.
Althusser talks about Ideological State Apparatuses, or ISA’s. I find ISA’s to be extremely stifling, which is why I tend to stay away from them. ISA’s tell you how to live your life, especially one as huge as the religious ISA. I would not call myself a rebel, because I function under the umbrella of some ISA’s, but in general, I view conformity as a weak, negative trait in individuals. I believe that life is something that needs to be spontaneous, with an experimental basis. Rather than following the lead of ideologies, step outside of the bubble of society and develop some of your own rules. Life is boring when you become a subject, so retain your individuality. Nobody has to follow exactly what the ruling class projects. Reject ideologies and live a more fulfilling, interesting life. The phrase “Everybody else is doing it” should never persuade you to do anything. Stop being a subject and become an individual again.
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1 comment:
Good post! Good job in identifying what ideology is, where it comes from, and how it controls people (especially with your part about the ISA). It would be great to see you develop your post further by merging together the work of Marx and Althussar to see how each would respond to each other's work. Good job! :)
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