Before we can begin to discuss ideology, we must define it.

So ideology is basically
your world outlook your world view. According to Althusser, an ideology doesnt not
reflect the real world but it represents an imaginary relationship to the real world. For
example, since we rely so much on language to establish reality, different ideologies
become merely different representations of the imagined reality and not of reality
itself. And supposing that a person doesnt live by this world view, say he doesnt live
a moral life in terms of christianity, the religious ideology then become largely
imaginary aka it doesnt correspond to reality. This, people exercise their domination
and exploitation over other people using a Falsified representation of the world
which they have imagined in order to enslave other minds by dominating their
imaginations
In order to exist, every social formation must reproduce:
1.) The productive forces, and 2.) The existing relations of production
1.) The Forms of Reproduction:
a. The reproduction of the means of production
b. The reproduction of labor power--The reproduction of labor power requires
"a reproduction of submission to the ruling ideology for the workers"(133).
2.) The Reproduction of the Relations of Production
a. The reproduction of the relations of production is secured by the exercise of
State power in the RSA and the ISA.
2. The educational apparatus (school) is the dominant ideological State apparatus in
capitalist formations that secures the reigning ideology.
3. The basic Marxist mode of society is divided into an economic infrastructure and a
superstructure.
C. The relation between the superstructure and infrastructure is "in the last instance"
determined by the
economic base (136).
1. Overdeterminism-an effect arise from a variety of causes which acting together
rather than from a single (economic) factor.
2. Relative autonomy-a view asserts that the superstructure has a degree of
independence from economic forces.
3. Reciprocal action of the superstructure on the base (135).
In other words, he examines the ways in which a State exerts
control over its subjects--both through ISA and RSA-- in order to
reproduce its productive power.) Althusser proposes a discussion on
the relationship of the State and the subjects. His view on ideology
assumes that the ideology is the greatest material power, and thus

expands the traditional Marxist view that sees economy as the

ultimate power of the capitalist society.
REPRESSIVE STATE APPARATUS:

used by the ruling class a tool to suppress and dominate the working class
More often than not, RSAs are controlled by the ruling class since they are
also the ones who possess State power
RSAs are used to preserve ruling ideas through violent and coercive means

ISAs

propagate a wide range of ideologies through these (types)

functioned in a concealed and a symbolic manner.
o EXAMPLE: Training the students to become productive forces (labourpower) working for and under the Capitalist agents of exploitation. The
Educational ISAs, which assume a dominant role in a Capitalist
economy, conceal and mask the ruling class ideology behind its
liberating qualities so that its hidden agendas become inconspicuous
to the parents of the students.

A. Interpellation

Althusser compares ideology to a policeman shouting "hey you" to a

person walking in the street. The person responds to the call and in
doing so is transformed into a subject - a self-conscious, responsible
agent whose actions can be explained by his or her thoughts.
And this hailing, Althusser argues, gives us an identity. We acquire our
identities by seeing ourselves somehow mirrored in ideologies.
In this shorter text he goes into how human beings become selfconscious subjects. His analysis explains subjectification in order to
make the bigger argument that states are able to keep control through
the reproduction of subjects who are brainwashed to believe that their
role within the social structure is natural. More precisely, what we
believe to be normal or natural, which include socio- economic
structures, require ideologies. These are perpetuated by institutions or
what Althusser names, as we saw earlier, "Ideological State
Apparatuses." That includes family, schools, church and so on, which
give the developing individual categories in which they can recognize
themselves. To the extent that an individual does so and thus accepts
the practices associated with such institutions, they have been
powerfully "interpellated."

How do we define Ideology?

Ideology is a representation of the imaginary

in that the way we see things and the way we think about things is not an
accurate picture of reality.