Marxism, Theory, Conjuncture: Notes on a Possible Contemporary Gramsci–Althusser Dialogue

Abstract

This article offers various hypotheses regarding the conditions necessary for thereconstruction of a Marxist theory capable of meeting contemporary dilemmas. Thecentral hypothesis posits two beliefs: first, the deep crisis of contemporary capitalism(and perhaps of civilisation) can only be critically addressed by rehabilitating strongtheories based on a perspective of totality (this category’s fall from grace, as well ashow to rework and revive it, are in part the focus of this text); secondly, while thecurrent crisis might be outwardly novel, the heterogeneous body of texts making upwhat is called Marxism is already capable of furnishing tools to address the crisis. Thestarting point is the characterisation of the present conjuncture as anti-theoretical.By this is meant an excessive interest in how reality describes itself and an equallyexcessive disinterest in the use of strong concepts to think through that reality. Basedon this hypothesis, the possibility explored is that a certain interpretation of AntonioGramsci’s Marxism – excessively historicist and immanentist – has participated, in itsown way, in a form of anti-theoricism. In order to propose a theoretical alternative,the article aims to rehabilitate a virtuous relationship between the contributionsof Gramsci and those of Louis Althusser with the purpose of thinking a Marxismconcerned with the problem of theory, but also attentive, through the centrality of theproblematic of the conjuncture¸ to the question of historical singularity.