I do not claim to comprehend all of Althussers ideas. However let me try to interpret my conception of his ideological state apparatus (ISA) with a story. That the subject does not exist before his/her role has been ascribed already and that ideology is a historical phenomenon independent of the individual subject are I think two key points that Althusser gives us for this attempt and which we can utilise. Now, let us look at the character of Jesus who in John 8(12 -13) says I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life. So the Pharisees said to Him, You are testifying about Yourself; Your testimony is not true. Jesus never waits to be interpellated by the State, in this case the Pharisees. He declares himself as subject outside his prescribed historical role (as carpenter, commoner) and hence makes himself an enemy of the Old Order. He turns against the history of what he is supposed to be, appellating himself. Similarly in John 6:41 as he declares himself to be the Bread of Life he seizes the prerogative of interpellation, robbing it of power, and the Pharisees are always heard to be murmuring against this in the Bible - a sort of call that is stifled out, in a way. We can learn a lot from this I think the proactivity, the power capture.
Posted on: Sat, 19 Apr 2014 02:40:12 +0000
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