Rereading Louis Althusser (Althusser about Lenin and Leninism)
The introduction considers the contribution of Louis Althusser to the Marxist theory of practice, in particular, to the study of the social and political thought of V. I. Lenin. As an object of research, the features of the Althusserian interpretation of the main ideas of the leader of the Russian Bolsheviks and their applicability to the conditions of the 20th century are indicated. The purpose of the article is to show the influence of Lenin’s ideas on scientific activity and the formation of Althusser’s own ideological and theoretical views. The main part provides an overview and assessment of the main provisions of the theory of Althusser (Althusserianism). The key works of Althusser are described, in which the Lenin theme and its significance for the Marxist theory as a whole are examined, and the cultural and historical context of their creation is characterized. The essence of the key concepts used by Althusser to analyze Lenin’s ideological and theoretical heritage, in particular the concept of “conjuncture”, the conditions in which Althusser sees the emergence of a revolutionary situation within the framework of the existing conjuncture, are described. The characteristic of the most significant, according to Althusser, the social contradictions revealed by Leninism, retaining its relevance in the second half of the 20th century, shows the nature of class antagonism and analyzes the main way to overcome it proposed by Althusser - establishing the dictatorship of the proletariat. The conclusion notes Althusser’s contribution to the development of both modern Marxism and political science as a whole. This contribution is determined, in many respects, by the principle of the inseparable connection between scientific theory and revolutionary practice - the main Altusserian principle, based on Lenin’s theoretical and practical experience and important for identifying the key social and political problems of our time. The results obtained can be applied in the widest range of social sciences to study the nature of contemporary social contradictions, as well as the phenomenon of protest potential.