To philosophize with open eyes is to philosophize in the dark. Only the blind can look straight at the sun.
Louis AlthusserRead
Occasionally, the whole class struggle may be summed up in the struggle for one word against another word. Certain words struggle amongst themselves as enemies. Other words are the site of an ambiguity: the stake in a decisive but undecided battle
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the significance of language in social struggles, illustrating that even a single word can represent deeper conflicts.
Louis Althusser's quote highlights the concept that class struggles can often be encapsulated in the conflict between different words, suggesting that language is not merely a tool for communication but also a battleground for ideological warfare. The struggle for meaning and interpretation of these words reflects larger societal tensions and ambiguities that define class relations, demonstrating that the nuance of language plays a crucial role in how power dynamics are established and contested.
Themes
LanguageStruggleWordsConflictIdeology
In practice
Example use cases
During a debate about social justice, one might quote this to underline the importance of precise language.
More from Louis Althusser
All quotes →It is characteristic of ideology to impose self-evident facts as self-evident facts.
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Relations of production are first reproduced by the materiality of the processes of production and circulation. But it should not be forgotten that ideological relations are immediately present in these same processes.
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Philosophy is, in the last instance, class struggle in the field of theory.
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