Louis Althusser Biography

(French Marxist Philosopher)

Birthday: October 16, 1918 (Libra)

Born In: Bir Mourad Raïs, Algeria

Louis Pierre Althusser was one of the most influential French Marxist philosophers. Born into a pied-noir petit-bourgeois family, he received admission at École Normale Supérieure (ENS) at the age of 21. But, with the start of the Second World War in the same year, he was drafted into the French Army and spent the war years at German POW camp. On his release, he re-entered ENS. Although by then his physical and mental health had become weak, he graduated with good results and was promptly employed by his alma mater first as the Director of Studies and then as the Secretary of the Literary School. Concurrently, he became an active member of the French Communist Party, producing many great works. He taught at ENS for more than 30 years, never allowing his ideological belief to interfere with his professional life, meanwhile influencing a whole generation of French philosophers and thinkers. Among his students were Alain Badiou, Pierre Bourdieu, Michel Foucaul, Jacques Derrida and Michel Serres.

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Quick Facts

French Celebrities Born In October

Also Known As: Louis Pierre Althusser

Died At Age: 72

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Hélène Rytmann (m. ?–1980)

father: Charles-Joseph Althusser

mother: Lucienne Marthe Berger

Born Country: Algeria

Philosophers French Men

Died on: October 22, 1990

place of death: La Verrière, France

Notable Alumni: École Normale Supérieure, University Of Paris, University Of Picardie

Cause of Death: Heart Attack

More Facts

education: École Normale Supérieure, University Of Paris, University Of Picardie

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    What is Louis Althusser's theory of interpellation?

    Louis Althusser's theory of interpellation describes how individuals are hailed or called into a certain identity or subject position by external forces, such as ideology. This process shapes individuals' sense of self and their understanding of the world.
  • 2

    What is Louis Althusser's concept of the Ideological State Apparatus?

    Louis Althusser introduced the concept of the Ideological State Apparatus (ISA), which refers to institutions like schools, media, and religious institutions that propagate dominant ideologies and maintain social order through ideological means.
  • 3

    How did Louis Althusser contribute to Marxist theory?

    Louis Althusser made significant contributions to Marxist theory by emphasizing the role of ideology in maintaining capitalist societies, proposing concepts like ideological state apparatuses and interpellation, and offering a structuralist interpretation of Marxism.
  • 4

    What is Louis Althusser's critique of humanism in philosophy?

    Louis Althusser critiqued humanism in philosophy for its focus on the individual subject and its neglect of the structural forces that shape society. He argued that humanism failed to account for the ways in which ideology and institutions influence individuals.
  • 5

    What impact did Louis Althusser have on post-structuralist and postmodern philosophy?

    Louis Althusser's work influenced post-structuralist and postmodern philosophy by challenging traditional humanist and structuralist approaches to understanding society. His emphasis on ideology and discourse paved the way for questioning fixed truths and exploring power dynamics in various fields.
Childhood & Early Life
Louis Pierre Althusser was born on 16 October 1918 in Birmendreïs, French Algeria. Now called Bir Mourad Raïs, the town is located near Algiers, the capital city of Algeria.
His father, Charles-Joseph Althusser, was initially a lieutenant in the French army. Later, he settled down in Algiers, where he began working as a bank clerk. His mother, Lucienne Marthe Berger, a devout Catholic, worked as a school teacher. He had at least one sister.
In 1930, Louis Althusser’s family moved to the French city of Marseille. Here, he attended Lycée Saint-Charles, doing extremely well in studies.
In 1936, they moved to Lyon, where he was admitted to the prestigious Lycée du Parc. Here, he was especially influenced by professors like Jean Guitton, Jean Lacroix, Joseph Hours, who had distinct Catholic leaning. In 1937, he joined a Catholic group called Jeunesse étudiantes chrétiennes.
In 1939, he received admission at École Normale Supérieure (ENS). But very soon, at the onset of the Second World War, he was drafted into the French Army and was taken prisoner by the Germans after the Fall of France in June 1940, spending the war years as a prisoner-of-war.
In 1945, after the end of the war, Althusser entered École Normale Supérieure. But, poor in physical and mental health, he spent considerable period in the school infirmary. In 1947, he had to undergo electroconvulsive therapy. However, his illness did not affect his education.
During his student years at ENS, he became sympathetic to the leftist movement, but did not officially join the party. Neither did he move away from religion, instead tried to synthesize Christian and Marxist thoughts.
In 1947, he obtained his diplôme d'études supèrieures on his thesis, ‘Du contenu dans la pensée de G. W. F. Hegel’ (On Content in the Thought of G. W. F. Hegel).
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Teaching & Writing
In 1948, Louis Althusser began his career as the agrégé répétiteur (director of studies) at the ENS. He was responsible for offering special courses on particular topics and on particular figures from the history of philosophy. Same year in October, he joined the French Communist Party (PCF).
He now started publishing papers and soon became quite popular with his students. In 1954, he became secrétaire de l'école litteraire (secretary of the literary school). In this capacity, he became responsible for management and direction of the school.
Although a committed communist, he avoided bringing in Marxist philosophy in his teachings. Instead, he catered mostly to the students’ interests and to the demand of each aggregation.
In 1949, he taught Plato. Next in 1949–1950, he gave lectures on René Descartes and wrote a thesis entitled ‘Politics and Philosophy in the Eighteenth Century’. Then from 1950 to 1955, he concentrated on Rousseau, changing his focus to philosophy of history, also studying Voltaire, Condorcet, and Helvétius.
Although he did not teach Marxism in class or published any work on the subject from 1953 to 1960, he was otherwise very active, opening the Cercle Politzer, a Marxist study group at ENS. He was also an active member of the Peace Movement.
In 1960, he resumed writing on Marxism, translating a collection on Ludwig Feuerbach's works. In the following year, he wrote 'Sur le jeune Marx – Questions de théorie' (On the Young Marx: Theoretical Question). It was followed by a series of articles, which in 1965 were published together as ‘Pour Marx’.
In 1965, he coauthored 'Lire le Capital' (Reading Capital). The book, which was translated in various languages, discusses Karl Marx's Das Kapital including subjects like labor theory of value, dialectical materialism, and historical materialism.
During the May 1968 event, when a civil unrest broke out in France, he was undergoing treatment for depression at a hospital, as a result of which he failed to respond. Enraged at his silence, protesters wrote on walls, “"A quoi sert Althusser?” (Of what use is Althusser?).
On his recovery, Louis Althusser gave statements in which he followed the party line, describing the students as the victims of "infantile" leftism. It angered many of his students, especially Jacques Rancière Thereafter, he went through a new phase, resulting in the publication of ‘Éléments d'autocritique’ (Essays in Self-criticism) in 1974.
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In 1969, Louis Althusser started working on ‘Sur la reproduction’ (On the Reproduction), which was eventually published in 1995. Meanwhile, he continued with his scholarly works, editing and publishing not only his, but also others’ works. His responsibilities in the ENS also increased manifolds in 1970s.
In 1978, as the French Communist Party lost the general election Althusser suffered an acute depression and with time developed suicidal thoughts. However, he managed to function until November 1980, when he strangled his wife to death in a bout of mental illness.
Major Works
Louis Althusser is best known for his 1965 book, ‘Pour Marx’ (For Marx). In this book he tries to reinterpret the work of Karl Marx, suggesting an epistemological obstacle between the young Marx, who was more Hegelian in his thoughts and the old Marx, who wrote ‘Das Capital’.
Personal Life & Legacy
In 1946, Louis Althusser met sociologist Hélène Rytmann-Legotien, a Jewish women, ten years older than him. She was a former member of French Resistance and the French Communist Party. Although it is not known when or if they got married, they lived at ENS and shared a deep emotional bonding.
Louis Althusser had always suffered from mental illness. But after the French Communist Party’s defeat in 1978, it became worse and by March 1980, he became almost non-functional; but refused to be hospitalized.
On 16 November 1980, in a feat of mental confusion, he strangled Rytmann to death in their room at ENS. Judged unfit for trial, he was institutionalized until 1983 and thereafter lead a solitary life in an apartment in Paris.
He spent the last few years of his life at the psychiatric institution MGEN in La Verrière, undergoing treatment for depression. There in the summer of 1990, he suffered pneumonia and died of a heart attack on 22 October 1990.
Facts About Louis Althusser
Louis Althusser was known for his love of gardening and often found solace in tending to his plants and flowers, a hobby that provided him with a sense of peace and relaxation.

Althusser had a passion for cooking and enjoyed experimenting with new recipes in his kitchen.

Despite his reputation as a serious and intellectual philosopher, Althusser had a playful side and enjoyed engaging in puns and wordplay with his colleagues and friends.
Althusser had a deep appreciation for art and literature, often incorporating references to famous works into his philosophical writings
He believed that art and literature had the power to challenge and reshape our understanding of the world.

Althusser had a strong sense of social justice and was actively involved in political activism throughout his life. He believed in the importance of fighting for equality and social change, and his work reflects his commitment to these ideals.

See the events in life of Louis Althusser in Chronological Order

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