The transition point from Marx to Althusser on the issue of ideology: the example of education

Abstract

This paper will primarily attempt to broadly outline Karl Marx’s theory of ideology in order to establish the theoretical framework, and, at the same time, attempt to provide a brief overview of its position within the philosophical debates of the time. Thus, French philosopher Louis Althusser’s contribution to the studies of ideology will be surveyed. Elaborating on this, the relationship between education and ideology will be explored from a Marxist perspective, specifically focusing on Althusser’s characterisation of the school as an Ideological State Apparatus. However, it is also necessary to stress that the purpose of this article is to pinpoint the connections between these two thinkers, with Althusser’s contribution being a necessary refinement and elucidation of the concept of ideology via one of its institutional expressions, namely, education.