Althusser’s Social Theory

In this paper, I will provide one particular reading or interpretation of Althusser’s social theory which I believe is worth in presenting it anew in a different theoretical terrain. Its value resides in relating it to, and associating it with antiessentialism rather than essentialism with which it typically has been linked. More specifically I will attempt to take Althusser’s social theory beyond the controversies raging about rationalism, empiricism, humanism, or structuralism in contemporary theoretic debates. In so doing, I will elucidate Althusser’s notion of overdetermination by virtue of which Marxist theory can finally rid itself of not only economic determinism but also various determinisms of all stripes.