A Philosophy for Communism : Rethinking Althusser (Historical Materialism)

In A Philosophy for Communism: Rethinking Althusser, Panagiotis Sotiris undertakes a reading of the work of the French philosopher centered upon his deeply political conception of philosophy. Althusser’s endeavour is presented as a quest for a new practice of philosophy that would enable a new practice of politics for communism, in opposition to idealism and teleology. Sotiris’s central claim is that Althusser remained a communist in his philosophy throughout the trajectory of his thought, from the crucial interventions of the 1960s to his writings on aleatory materialism. This argument is based on a careful reading of the tensions and dynamics running through Althusser’s work, as well as his dialogue with other thinkers. Particular attention is paid to crucial texts by Althusser that remained unpublished until relatively recently.