Marxism and the Concept of a Social Formation: An Immanent Critique of the Views of Jairus Banaji

Jairus Banaji associates the concept of a social formation (involving modal combination, or the articulation of modes of production) with “vulgar Marxism.” This includes both the Marxism of the Second International and the structuralist Marxism of Louis Althusser. Banaji is critical of those Marxists who employ the concept because in his view they are insufficiently sensitive to the complexities of history. His reasons for thinking this may be subjected to an immanent critique. Such a critique attempts to show that, given an argument's starting assumptions, a different (perhaps even the opposite) conclusion from that which is drawn by its author is possible. Applying this idea to the work of Banaji, it can be demonstrated that his rejection of the concept of a social formation is not required by his own theoretical assumptions and that endorsement of the concept is consistent with them.

Problematic of ideological formation in Kazakhstan: three-dimensional practice of the Muftiate as an ideological state apparatus (an Althusserian analysis)

Purpose In the Kazakhstani context, the instrumentalization of the Muftiate as a social engineering tool is particularly pertinent, as it stands out as a unique channel for the political, moral and cultural shaping of Muslims. This study aims to outline the role of the Muftiate, its historical background and recent restructuring process. It focuses on the ideological practices and religious discourses of the Muftiate. Design/methodology/approach In Kazakhstan, as a result of reforms in the religious sphere, which were started in 2011, the scope of activity of the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Kazakhstan (the Muftiate) has entered a new phase and become an important ideological tool within national policy. It has emerged as a civil society institution that will centralize the process of Islamization and instrumentalize the importance of Islam to create a new fantasy of unity and solidarity. Findings Thus, it discusses how Muftiate fabricates the correct forms of action and the correct form of thought. The theory of “ideological state apparatuses” (ISA) of the French philosopher Louis Althusser should be considered as a theoretical framework of this study. This approach not only gives a theoretical definition of the Muftiate but also allows us to determine its position in society and outline three different dimensions of the practice that it performs. Originality/value The study demonstrates how the Muftiate as an ISA actualizes various concepts, ideas, beliefs or images in which Muslims live their imaginary relations to the real world and transforms Muslim individuals into ideological subjects, thus enabling them to become apparently free bearers of the ideology.

“En dos años no nos vamos a acordar de la pandemia”. Análisis del discurso sobre el decrecimiento turístico en Barcelona.

Desde la extensión del COVID19 a nivel global, sería posible afirmar que el turismo se encuentra en una auténtica situación de respiración asistida. Gobiernos de todo el mundo inyectan dinero en el sector a la espera de una pronta recuperación. Éste es también el anhelo de parte de un sector empresarial que espera volver, cuanto antes, a la boyante situación pre-pandémica. Sin embargo, son numerosas las voces, en su mayoría provenientes del ámbito académico y los movimientos sociales, que alertan de que no se está aprovechando la ocasión para modificar algunas de las viejas pautas que arrastraba la producción turística a nivel global. Con la intención de aprovechar viejas enseñanzas, el presente artículo se centra en el papel que han jugado los movimientos sociales y la ideología del decrecimiento en las acciones de protesta contra la turistificación en España durante los últimos años. Si bien, este tipo de episodios han sido frecuentes en ciudades como Madrid, Palma de Mallorca, Bilbao, Sevilla y Valencia, sin duda los que mayor difusión e influencia han ejercido han sido aquellos llevados a cabo en Barcelona. En su desempeño han destacado plataformas como la Assemblea de Barris per un Turisme Sostenible (ABTS), organización formada por movimientos de base, asociaciones y otras entidades. Desde su constitución en 2015, la ABTS ha estado en primera línea siempre que se ha tratado de demandar una reducción en el flujo de turistas hacia la capital catalana y una reversión de los efectos sociales, económicos, culturales y medioambientales señalados como dañinos y generados por turismo masivo. La hipótesis de la investigación plantea que el discurso dominante, al enfatizar la contribución que el turismo ha hecho al desarrollo económico y político español, proporciona un marco positivo para la industria que contrasta fuertemente con las preocupaciones sobre sus efectos nocivos expresadas por sus oponentes, los movimientos decrecentistas. La interpretación de tal propuesta se desarrollará mediante el uso del Análisis del Discurso Político (ADP), así como los tratamientos de Louis Althusser sobre el concepto de ideología, y la interpelación y el trabajo sobre el decrecimiento turístico desarrollada por diversos autores. Finalmente, el texto muestra lo que sucede cuando fallan estos intentos de interpelación, tal y como ha sucedido de manera tan espectacular en el caso de Barcelona.

Althusser y su lectura de Maquiavelo: ideología, república y democracia

Este artículo busca problematizar la oposición entre democracia y república que está en el fundamento de la filosofía política. Siguiendo este horizonte, en primer lugar, se explora la razón que permite al pensamiento político, por un lado, reconocer el mérito de la democracia como acto fundacional de una república, pero, por el otro, desconocer su rol al interior de los cuerpos políticos ya fundados. En segundo lugar, y con la ayuda de la perspectiva de Louis Althusser, se sugiere que ese rol ambiguo y paradójico de la democracia se puede interpretar a la luz de una forma mistificadora de comprender la ideología que está presente en las filosofías políticas más hegemónicas. Finalmente se plantea abordar la relación entre democracia y cuerpo político desde la lectura que hace Althusser de Maquiavelo en su texto Maquiavelo y nosotros.

Louis Althusser: Science and Ideology

In terms of design and key objectives, this volume entails a triadic syllogism. Continental thinking constitutes its source material, and first of all I offer a concise exposition of the way in which Hegel, Marx, Engels, Bachelard, Lacan and Heidegger allow us to come to terms with technoscience. As indicated, notwithstanding multiple differences and interventions, I see their oeuvres as building on a common ground. I also acknowledge the second moment (the negation), however, consisting of claims (brought forward by various authors) that this corpus of literature, or parts of it, are invalid or outdated, for instance because the future belongs to neo-liberalism (as Francis Fukuyama argued), or because continental thinking is flawed by Eurocentric and androcentric biases. Rather than countering or criticising this type of criticism directly and extensively (which would result in more or less “theoretical” debates), I have adopted a more “cataphatic” course. By outlining its basic logic (its methodology) and by extrapolating it to a number of case studies, my aim is to demonstrate the viability, urgency and contemporary relevance of a continental approach (“via positiva”).

Educação (Ambiental): moldando corpos para gerir a vida?

A Educação Ambiental (EA) estaria livre de vínculos institucionais e isenta das formas de governo existentes na sociedade? Mesmo baseada em ações necessárias à sustentabilidade ambiental, manifesta-se como um processo libertário? Este estudo objetivou problematizar a relação entre EA, biopolítica e governamentalidade, explicando como esses conceitos se encontram, a partir do entendimento de que a EA é um processo que molda corpos e se baseia na biopolítica, ao gerenciar maneiras de preservar a vida. Para isso, as estruturas histórico-institucionais da EA serão abordadas num contexto global e no Brasil, traçando sua relação com as macrotendências da EA e instrumentos de poder, com base em Michel Foucault, Paulo Freire e Louis Althusser. Assim, entende-se que a EA se aproxima de um horizonte da biopolítica, através de práticas governamentais para alcançar a sustentabilidade ambiental, apesar da importância dessas ações no contexto atual.

The Red Years of Cahiers du cinéma (1968-1973)

The uprising which shook France in May 1968 also had a revolutionary effect on the country's most prominent film journal. Under editors Jean-Louis Comolli and Jean Narboni, Cahiers du cinéma embarked on a militant turn that would govern the journal's work over the next five years. With a Marxist orientation inspired by the thinking of Louis Althusser, Jacques Lacan and Roland Barthes, the "red years" of Cahiers du cinéma produced a theoretical outpouring that was formative for the establishment of film studies as an academic discipline in the 1970s, and is still of vital relevance for the contemporary audiovisual landscape. It was also the seminal experience for a generation of critics who have dedicated the following half-century to the task of critically responding to the cinema. The Red Years of Cahiers du Cinéma (1968-1973) gives a historical overview of this period in the journal's history, combining biographical accounts of the critics who were involved with Cahiers in the post-1968 and theoretical explorations of the text they wrote. Volume I focuses on the relationship of film with the spheres of ideology and politics.

The Red Years of Cahiers du cinéma (1968-1973)

The uprising which shook France in May 1968 also had a revolutionary effect on the country's most prominent film journal. Under editors Jean-Louis Comolli and Jean Narboni, Cahiers du cinéma embarked on a militant turn that would govern the journal's work over the next five years. With a Marxist orientation inspired by the thinking of Louis Althusser, Jacques Lacan and Roland Barthes, the "red years" of Cahiers du cinéma produced a theoretical outpouring that was formative for the establishment of film studies as an academic discipline in the 1970s, and is still of vital relevance for the contemporary audiovisual landscape. It was also the seminal experience for a generation of critics who have dedicated the following half-century to the task of critically responding to the cinema. The Red Years of Cahiers du Cinéma (1968-1973) gives a historical overview of this period in the journal's history, combining biographical accounts of the critics who were involved with Cahiers in the post-1968 and theoretical explorations of the text they wrote.

Theses on Translation: An Organon for the Current Moment

The article is a diagnosis of the contemporary condition of translation practice, taking into account its political consequences. For translation, understood as a kind of mediation between cultures, can function as a form of political intervention, undermining the established hierarchies of languages and cultures. However, this can only happen if the translator’s work is precisely conceptualized and the translation itself is based on a hermeneutic model that evaluates the category of interpretation. The article uses, among others, theoretical works by Charles Peirce, Louis Althusser, Pascale Casanova, and Frederic Jameson.