Reading Capital

Reading Capital is a significant work by French philosopher Louis Althusser, published in 1965. In this book, Althusser aimed to reinterpret Karl Marx's theories, particularly as presented in Das Kapital.12

Althusser argued against humanistic interpretations of Marx, asserting that the mature Marx developed a scientific approach focused on impersonal historical processes rather than human nature. He proposed an "epistemological break" between Marx's early philosophical ideas and his later scientific ones. Althusser's work, influenced by structuralism, viewed Marx's humanism as a phase, emphasizing the scientific observation of societal structures. He posited that historical change is driven by objective factors like production relations, with consciousness playing a secondary role.13