[lbo-talk] Althusser, NLR and the meaning of 'Stalinism'

Ted Winslow egwinslow at rogers.com
Mon Feb 22 07:27:04 PST 2010


James Heartfield wrote:


> The essential proposition is false, by the way. History is a process
> with a subject (many, in fact). And there is a relationship between
> his beliefs, and his practise: His theory was an otiose aplogetic
> for Stalinism, and a polemic against human agency.
>
> But no, in itself, the fact that he was a shit, does not itself
> prove the theory shitty. But it was.

The connection between the "theory" and Althusseur's psychotic psychopathology does explain, however, the immunity of the "theory" and "anti-humanism" in general to rational critique.

Emphasis on the "shitty" aspect, however, ignores the role of unmastered sadistic, murderous aggressiveness in the particular form of psychopathology involved.

Ted



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