Ideology and Ideological State Apparatuses

Ideology and Ideological State Apparatuses by Louis Althusser
A Marxist philosophical essay exploring how societal institutions like education, media, and religion reinforce dominant ideologies. Althusser argues that these "Ideological State Apparatuses" shape individual consciousness, maintaining power structures by subtly controlling beliefs and norms through cultural influence.

Louis Althusser (1918–1990) was a French Marxist philosopher, known for Ideology and Ideological State Apparatuses. He reinterpreted Marxist theory, focusing on ideology and its role in maintaining power structures. His concepts of ideological apparatuses profoundly influenced critical theory, structuralism, and cultural studies in the 20th century.