Marxist Notion of Ideology

The idea that society has an 'appearance', which is not the

same as social 'essence', forms the starting point for the Marxist
discussion of ideology. Ideology is what allows a society to persist,
even though the essence of that society may contain contradictions. It
is important to note that the difference between appearance and
reality is not due to some form of false belief or faulty vision on the
part of the observer. The appearances are caused by the reality.
According to Marxist notion of ideology, it is the set ruling ideas of the
ruling class in which the class which has the means of material
production at its disposal, has control at the same time over the means
of mental production. The entirety or the system of ideas of the ruling
class would be the Ideology of a given society. Ideology achieves this
by distorting reality. While in fact the split in ruling and subservient
social classes is artificial (i.e. man made) and serves the needs of the
economic system, the ideas of ideology makes it appear natural. It
makes the subordinate classes accept a state of alienation against they
would otherwise revolt. This state of alienation has also been referred
to as "false consciousness".

ISAs and RSAs Function as Conformist Tool of the

Dominant Ideology
Althusser takes the Marxist theory of the State forward by
distinguishing the Repressive State Apparatus from the Ideological
State Apparatuses (ISA) and tries to explain how the ISA and the RSA
function as a conformist tool of the dominant ideology.

Repressive State Apparatus (RSA): Althusser regards the State

as a repressive apparatus which is used by the ruling class as a tool to
suppress and dominate the working class. According to him, the basic
function of the Repressive State Apparatus (Heads of State,

government, police, courts, army etc.) is to intervene and act in favour

of the ruling class by repressing the ruled class by violent and coercive
means. The Repressive state apparatus (RSA) is controlled by the
ruling class, because more often than not, the ruling class possesses
State power. At times when individuals and groups pose a threat to the
dominant order, the state invokes the Repressive State Apparatus. As
threats to the dominant order mount, the state turns to increasingly
physical and severe measures in response: incarceration, police force,
and ultimately military intervention.

Ideological State Apparatus (ISA): Unlike the Repressive State

Apparatuses, Ideological State Apparatuses belong to the private
domain - to churches, schools, families, and so on. Instead of
repressing, and inflicting order, through repression, Ideological State
Apparatuses reinforce the rule of the dominant class primarily through
ideology. This means that instead of fear of prosecution or violence,
people submit out of fear of social ridicule. Althusser posits that it is
not possible for a class to hold State power unless and until it exercises
its hegemony (domination) over and in the ISA at the same time.
However, during a class struggle, the domain of the ISAs enables the
ruled class to counter the ruling class by using the inherent
contradictions of ISAs.

Althusser accentuates the differences between the RSA and the ISAs as
follows:
1. The RSA functions as a unified entity (an organized whole) as
opposed to the ISA which is diverse and plural. However, what unites
the disparate ISA is the fact that they are ultimately controlled by the
ruling ideology.
2. The RSA functions predominantly by means of repression and
violence and secondarily by ideology whereas the ISA functions
predominantly by ideology and secondarily by repression and violence.
The ISA functions in a concealed and a symbolic manner.

To conclude, Althusser believes that the ISA may be the stake, as

well as the site of the class struggle. The class, or class alliance, in the
ISA cant lay down the law as easily as it can in the RSA. One reason is
because the former ruling classes are able to retain strong positions
there for a long time. Another reason is because the resistance of the
exploited classes is able to find means and occasions to express itself
there, either by the utilization of their contradictions, or by conquering
combat positions in them in struggle.