Reading Capital
Encyclopedia
Reading Capital is a 1965 work of Marxist
philosophy
and theory
. The book collects essays developed by Louis Althusser
and his students in a seminar on Karl Marx
's Das Kapital
which took place earlier in 1965. the only English-language edition, a partial translation by Ben Brewster, includes only the contributions of Althusser and Étienne Balibar
, while the original French edition includes several additional essays by other students in the seminar, including Roger Establet
, Jacques Rancière
, and Pierre Macherey
. This version and a similarly abridged Italian edition were released in 1970.
The book is widely considered an important contribution to Marxist philosophy
, and also marks a moment in the history of structuralism
. Althusser considered the book's return to a detailed engagement with the work of Marx a strong parallel to the return to Freud
initiated by Jacques Lacan
in psychoanalysis
. Among its tasks the book seeks to clarify differences between Marx's and Hegel's
dialectic
s, and to more thoroughly demarcate the "break" which Althusser saw between Marx's later writings (Marxism proper) and his early, Hegelian work. And, furthermore, the book sought to re-establish Marxism as a viable position within philosophy, albeit in a manner influenced by structuralism, against its years of dilution from not only critiques (humanist
and Sartrean
ones, particularly) but also from the supposedly socialist philosophy of popular liberal-socialist democratic writing and politics.
In a 1970 preface Althusser repudiated some of the positions taken in the book, calling his earlier definition of philosophy as the "theory of theoretical practice" a theoreticist
stance and hence "incorrect." The preface also noted that, although all the contributors to the book had taken efforts to distance themselves from the vocabulary and methods of structuralism
, the book had often been called a structuralist Marxist work.
Marxism
Marxism is an economic and sociopolitical worldview and method of socioeconomic inquiry that centers upon a materialist interpretation of history, a dialectical view of social change, and an analysis and critique of the development of capitalism. Marxism was pioneered in the early to mid 19th...
philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
and theory
Marxist philosophy
Marxist philosophy or Marxist theory are terms that cover work in philosophy that is strongly influenced by Karl Marx's materialist approach to theory or that is written by Marxists...
. The book collects essays developed by Louis Althusser
Louis Althusser
Louis Pierre Althusser was a French Marxist philosopher. He was born in Algeria and studied at the École Normale Supérieure in Paris, where he eventually became Professor of Philosophy....
and his students in a seminar on Karl Marx
Karl Marx
Karl Heinrich Marx was a German philosopher, economist, sociologist, historian, journalist, and revolutionary socialist. His ideas played a significant role in the development of social science and the socialist political movement...
's Das Kapital
Das Kapital
Das Kapital, Kritik der politischen Ökonomie , by Karl Marx, is a critical analysis of capitalism as political economy, meant to reveal the economic laws of the capitalist mode of production, and how it was the precursor of the socialist mode of production.- Themes :In Capital: Critique of...
which took place earlier in 1965. the only English-language edition, a partial translation by Ben Brewster, includes only the contributions of Althusser and Étienne Balibar
Étienne Balibar
Étienne Balibar is a French Marxist philosopher. After the death of his teacher Louis Althusser, Balibar quickly became the leading exponent of French Marxist philosophy.- Life and work :...
, while the original French edition includes several additional essays by other students in the seminar, including Roger Establet
Roger Establet
Roger Establet is a French scholar of the sociology of education. He was a student at lycée Massena in Nice, and in khâgne at the Lycée Louis-le-Grand in Paris. in 1959, he entered the École normale supérieure, where he earned degrees in philosophy and sociology. He was a professor at the...
, Jacques Rancière
Jacques Rancière
Jacques Rancière is a French philosopher, Professor of Philosophy at European Graduate School in Saas-Fee and Emeritus Professor of Philosophy at the University of Paris Jacques Rancière (born Algiers, 1940) is a French philosopher, Professor of Philosophy at European Graduate School in Saas-Fee...
, and Pierre Macherey
Pierre Macherey
Pierre Macherey is a French Marxist literary critic at Université Lille Nord de France. A former student of Louis Althusser and collaborator on the influential volume Reading "Capital", Macherey is a central figure in the development of French post-structuralism and Marxism...
. This version and a similarly abridged Italian edition were released in 1970.
The book is widely considered an important contribution to Marxist philosophy
Marxist philosophy
Marxist philosophy or Marxist theory are terms that cover work in philosophy that is strongly influenced by Karl Marx's materialist approach to theory or that is written by Marxists...
, and also marks a moment in the history of structuralism
Structuralism
Structuralism originated in the structural linguistics of Ferdinand de Saussure and the subsequent Prague and Moscow schools of linguistics. Just as structural linguistics was facing serious challenges from the likes of Noam Chomsky and thus fading in importance in linguistics, structuralism...
. Althusser considered the book's return to a detailed engagement with the work of Marx a strong parallel to the return to Freud
Sigmund Freud
Sigmund Freud , born Sigismund Schlomo Freud , was an Austrian neurologist who founded the discipline of psychoanalysis...
initiated by Jacques Lacan
Jacques Lacan
Jacques Marie Émile Lacan was a French psychoanalyst and psychiatrist who made prominent contributions to psychoanalysis and philosophy, and has been called "the most controversial psycho-analyst since Freud". Giving yearly seminars in Paris from 1953 to 1981, Lacan influenced France's...
in psychoanalysis
Psychoanalysis
Psychoanalysis is a psychological theory developed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries by Austrian neurologist Sigmund Freud. Psychoanalysis has expanded, been criticized and developed in different directions, mostly by some of Freud's former students, such as Alfred Adler and Carl Gustav...
. Among its tasks the book seeks to clarify differences between Marx's and Hegel's
Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel
Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel was a German philosopher, one of the creators of German Idealism. His historicist and idealist account of reality as a whole revolutionized European philosophy and was an important precursor to Continental philosophy and Marxism.Hegel developed a comprehensive...
dialectic
Dialectic
Dialectic is a method of argument for resolving disagreement that has been central to Indic and European philosophy since antiquity. The word dialectic originated in Ancient Greece, and was made popular by Plato in the Socratic dialogues...
s, and to more thoroughly demarcate the "break" which Althusser saw between Marx's later writings (Marxism proper) and his early, Hegelian work. And, furthermore, the book sought to re-establish Marxism as a viable position within philosophy, albeit in a manner influenced by structuralism, against its years of dilution from not only critiques (humanist
Humanism
Humanism is an approach in study, philosophy, world view or practice that focuses on human values and concerns. In philosophy and social science, humanism is a perspective which affirms some notion of human nature, and is contrasted with anti-humanism....
and Sartrean
Jean-Paul Sartre
Jean-Paul Charles Aymard Sartre was a French existentialist philosopher, playwright, novelist, screenwriter, political activist, biographer, and literary critic. He was one of the leading figures in 20th century French philosophy, particularly Marxism, and was one of the key figures in literary...
ones, particularly) but also from the supposedly socialist philosophy of popular liberal-socialist democratic writing and politics.
In a 1970 preface Althusser repudiated some of the positions taken in the book, calling his earlier definition of philosophy as the "theory of theoretical practice" a theoreticist
Theoreticism
In philosophy and particularly political philosophy, theoreticism is the preference for theory over practice , or a philosophical position which would lead to such a preference....
stance and hence "incorrect." The preface also noted that, although all the contributors to the book had taken efforts to distance themselves from the vocabulary and methods of structuralism
Structuralism
Structuralism originated in the structural linguistics of Ferdinand de Saussure and the subsequent Prague and Moscow schools of linguistics. Just as structural linguistics was facing serious challenges from the likes of Noam Chomsky and thus fading in importance in linguistics, structuralism...
, the book had often been called a structuralist Marxist work.