Rebrov S.A. The Althusserian Approach to Interpretation of Jun-Jacques Rousseau’s Political Theology. Polity: Analyses. Chronicle. Prognosis (Journal of Political Philosophy and Sociology of Politics). 2024. No. 4 (115). Pp. 38-49.

Òåêñò ñòàòüè íà ñàéòå æóðíàëà URL: http://politeia.ru/files/articles/rus/Politeia-2024-4(115)-Pages-001-214-38-49.pdf  (äàòà îáðàùåíèÿ 28.12.2024)

Abstract

The article is devoted to the materialistic interpretation of Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s political theology by Louis Althusser. This approach is particularly interesting because it treats materialism in a completely different plane from that of Marxism. Emphasizing the contingency of the emergence of the civil state, Althusser places Rousseau within the general tradition of modern materialism, the distinctive features of which are anti-theocentrism and anti-historicism. At the same time, Althusser emphasizes that Rousseau had a radically different view on the origins of human society from the ideas of other Enlightenment philosophers. This allowed Althusser to separate Rousseauism from the traditional political philosophy of the 18th century. For this reason, the parallel interpretation of Rousseau’s views in the sphere of political theology does not in any way contradict the materialist interpretation of his teachings. In this article, the author scrutinizes the history of different approaches to the understanding of matter and materiality, and compares alternative perspectives on Rousseau’s political theory. The article shows, that Althusser’s interpretation was openly deconstructivist, even though it was based on the subjects brought up by Rousseau himself. In the final part, the author also touches upon the concept of multiple temporality, which, being closely connected with materialism, has a pure Rousseau’s origin.