Louis Althusser has written an essay, ―Ideology and Ideological State Apparatuses‖.

The

original text is written in French and translated in English by Ben Brewster. In the essay,

Althusser stresses the importance of non-repressive state apparatuses. Althusser begins his

analysis by emphasizing the significance of ―reproduction of the conditions of production‖

(127). According to Althusser, if we understand the reproduction of the productive forces and the

existing relations of production, then we can realize ―the reproduction of the conditions of

production‖. By reproduction of the productive forces he means the reproductions of the means

of production and that of the labor power.

The means of production includes the material things such as raw material, machinery, and

buildings. The reproduction of the labor power is ensured by giving wages to the laborers for

their daily expenses in return for their work. Althusser says, at this point, that wages are not

enough for the reproduction of labor power but the education system that the capitalists provide

helps in the reproduction of labor force. In schools the children are taught about good behavior,

morality, civility and professional conscientiousness; in other words, rules of showing the respect

for class domination in the society. After briefly explaining what the reproduction of the

productive forces is and how it takes place Althusser moves on to tell what the ―reproduction of

the existing relation of production‖ (128) is, but first Althusser provides definition of the state.

Althusser takes the Marxist theory of the state, and he declares that the state is therepressive

apparatus. The state consists of state power and state apparatuses, and both must be differentiated
clearly. The state power is concerned with political class struggle and the class which holds the

power. The state apparatuses are of two types: the Repressive State Apparatus—RSA—

comprises the army, the police, the government, the administration, the court, and the prison; and

the Ideological State Apparatuses—ISAs—include the religious ISAs (the churches), the

educational ISAs (the public and private schooling system), the family ISA, the legal ISA (the

legal system), the political ISA (the political system and different parties), the trade union ISA,

the communication ISA (media, radio and press), and the cultural ISA (literature, the fine arts

and sports). There is main difference between the (Repressive) state apparatus and ISAs. Firstly,

Althusser says that ―there is one (Repressive) state apparatus but ISAs are in plural form‖

Secondly, ―repressive state apparatus relates completely to the public domain, but a large part

of ISAs belongs to the private domain‖ (144). The main difference between the two apparatuses

is the fact that the ―(Repressive) state apparatus functions by violence, whereas the ISAs

function by ideology‖ (Althusser: 145). He also adds, at this point, ―that these two apparatuses

work both by violence and ideology‖ (145). The perplexity which Althusser wants to remove is

that, ―Repressive state apparatus functions massively and predominantly by repression, (…)

while it functions secondarily by ideology‖ (145). Here, Althusser gives an example that army

and police who predominantly function by force also function secondarily by ideology to ensure

unity and growth. As for ISAs, they function massively and predominantly by ideology and

secondarily by violence. For example, in schools and churches there is punishment system for
teachers, students, repressive apparatus. The state consists of state power and state apparatuses,

and both must be differentiated clearly. The state power is concerned with political class struggle

and the class which holds the power. The state apparatuses are of two types: the Repressive State

Apparatus—RSA— comprises the army, the police, the government, the administration, the

court, and the prison; and the Ideological State Apparatuses—ISAs—include the religious ISAs

(the churches), the educational ISAs (the public and private schooling system), the family ISA,

the legal ISA (the legal system), the political ISA (the political system and different parties), the

trade union ISA, the communication ISA (media, radio and press), and the cultural ISA

(literature, the fine arts and sports). There is main difference between the (Repressive) state

apparatus and ISAs. Firstly, Althusser says that ―there is one (Repressive) state apparatus but

ISAs are in plural form‖ Secondly, ―repressive state apparatus relates completely to the public

domain, but a large part of ISAs belongs to the private domain‖ (144). The main difference

between the two apparatuses is the fact that the ―(Repressive) state apparatus functions by

violence, whereas the ISAs function by ideology‖ (Althusser: 145). He also adds, at this point,

―that these two apparatuses work both by violence and ideology‖ (145). The perplexity which

Althusser wants to remove is that, ―Repressive state apparatus functions massively and

predominantly by repression, (…) while it functions secondarily by ideology‖ (145). Here,

Althusser gives an example that army and police who predominantly function by force also

function secondarily by ideology to ensure unity and growth. As for ISAs, they function
massively and predominantly by ideology and secondarily by violence. For example, in schools

and churches there is punishment system for teachers, students, repressive apparatus. The state

consists of state power and state apparatuses, and both must be differentiated clearly. The state

power is concerned with political class struggle and the class which holds the power. The state

apparatuses are of two types: the Repressive State Apparatus—RSA— comprises the army, the

police, the government, the administration, the court, and the prison; and the Ideological State

Apparatuses—ISAs—include the religious ISAs (the churches), the educational ISAs (the public

and private schooling system), the family ISA, the legal ISA (the legal system), the political ISA

(the political system and different parties), the trade union ISA, the communication ISA (media,

radio and press), and the cultural ISA (literature, the fine arts and sports). There is main

difference between the (Repressive) state apparatus and ISAs. Firstly, Althusser says that ―there

is one (Repressive) state apparatus but ISAs are in plural form‖ Secondly, ―repressive state

apparatus relates completely to the public domain, but a large part of ISAs belongs to the private

domain‖ (144). The main difference between the two apparatuses is the fact that the

―(Repressive) state apparatus functions by violence, whereas the ISAs function by ideology‖

(Althusser: 145). He also adds, at this point, ―that these two apparatuses work both by violence

and ideology‖ (145). The perplexity which Althusser wants to remove is that, ―Repressive state

apparatus functions massively and predominantly by repression, (…) while it functions

secondarily by ideology‖ (145). Here, Althusser gives an example that army and police who
predominantly function by force also function secondarily by ideology to ensure unity and

growth. As for ISAs, they function massively and predominantly by ideology and secondarily by

violence. For example, in schools and churches there is punishment system for teachers,

students, ideas, ―there is no practice except by and in an ideology and there is no ideology

except by the subjects and for subjects‖ (Althusser 170). For Althusser, ideology is not applicable

without the subjects and the by subject he means the physical form of an individual. He claims

that ideology makes this process possible by interpellation. Althusser explains this concept by

giving an example of being hailed in the street, when someone calls us in the street and we look

back, we instantly become subjects because we recognize that the hail is addressed at us

(Althusser 174). Althusser says that this recognition is basically the misrecognition (172). The

word subject has two meanings such as, ―a free subjectivity, a center of initiatives, author of

and responsible for its actions, and a subjected being, who submits to a higher authority and is

therefore stripped all of the freedom except that of freely accepting his submission‖. (182).

Individuals are interpellated as free subjects in order to give their submission themselves.

―ideology interpellates individuals as subjects‖ (Althusser 170). There is an important thing that

the subjects do not know during this process: they do not realize that they are willingly

submitting themselves. Althusser says that ―ideology never says that, I am ideological‖ (175). In

the end, Althusser mentions that, ―individuals are always already subjects‖ (172). Even before a

child is born he is already a subject, since he is born into a specific family and certain identity.
The subsequent chapters discuss that Newspeak is an Ideological State Apparatus. They examine

how Newspeak functions as an ideology in the state; and how (Repressive) state apparatus is

necessary to secure that ideology by analyzing the repressive system of government in Oceania.