Against Humanity. Althusser "theoretically"

Althusser is a banner in the thinking field of contemporary France. His peculiarity lies in the great passion of political and theoretic standpoint. From "protecting Marx" to "theoretical anti-humanism", a series of philosophical slogans have shaped him into a soldier-type thinker. Instead of a comprehensive study of Althusser's thinking, this dissertation focuses on his "theoretical anti-humanism". The theoretical anti-humanism, with the "human" at its core, develops from Satre's "Existentialism is a humanism" to Derrida's "End of human". It is the necessary conclusion Althusser draws by interpreting Marxism in a structurist way. It is a theoretical weapon against humanism Marxism and a significant composing part of scientistic Marxism. The criticism of subjectivity embedded in its paradigm opens up a post-structurist era in which the subject is rejected. However, the research predicament at home and abroad is that there is a discrepancy between the research of Althusser's other thoughts and that of his theoretical anti-humanism. On the one hand, Althusser's other thoughts have received wide attention and on the other hand, his theoretical anti-humanism has been marginalized. Taking into consideration the significance of theoretical anti-humanism in the history of western Marxism and deficiency in research both at home and abroad, this dissertation attempts to conduct a tentative study, with a view of providing a new theoretical perspective in interpreting Althusser comprehensively.The dissertation starts with an introduction of Althusser's personal growth and relevant research of him both at home and abroad. Then it states the research methods and approach. The body of this dissertation consists of 6 chapters, which go as follows:The chapter 2 analyzes the historical context in which theoretical anti-humanism came into being. This historical context is composed of time, academic atmosphere and Althusser's personality, etc. The dissertation seeks the fundamental elements of theoretical anti-humanism from a series of political events including the 20th Congress of Soviet Communist Party; traces its instrumental elements from the history of French structurism and present state; and its orientation elements from Spinoza's rationalism, Bachelard and Ganguilhem's Scientific Epistemology, Freud and Lacan's depth psychology; and its contributing elements by exploring Althusser's mental activities. On the basis of the differentiation and analysis of the connotation of the theoretical anti-humanism, chapter 3 sorts out the relationship between it and other Althusser's major thoughts. For Althusser, "theory" has special meaning and form. The authentic meaning of the theoretical anti-humanism is that Marxism is not a humanism in the clear and scientific sense of practice. This proposition occupies a dominant position in Althusser's thinking system and other thoughts such as structural reading methods, epistemological break, overdetermination and ideology play a supporting role or act as its extension.By returning to the classic texts of Marxism, chatper 4 explores the humanism thoughts in marxism from Marx's discussion on humanity, the nature of human being, the value of human being, and the emancipation of full development of human being. It can be seen from the analysis that the humanism thoughts in marxism are the ideological existence in reality and an ideological obstacle preventing marxist theories from becoming a science.Chapter 5 introduces the main characteristics of humanism Marxism and the views of its representative proponents. The introduction fall into 4 parts of the concept of alienation, the position of "human " in history, the dialectics of Marxism and the relationship between Marxism and humanism. This chapter also makes an interpretation of the humanism Marxism views of such thinkers as Fromm, Sartre and on such a basis offers a comparison between them and the theoretical anti-humanism.Base upon the analysis of scientistic Marxim, chapter 6 expounds the relationship between theoretical anti-humanism and other scholars of the scientistic Marxist circle. It is found out that the structurist Marxist Poulantzas and Balibar are under the direct influence of this proposition and New Positivistic Marxist Delia-Volpe and Colletti support it.Chapter 7 describes the transition from the Structurism to Post-structurism and discusses the role of the theoretical anti-humanism in this process. Post-structurist Foucault and Derrida inherit the thoughts of the theoretical anti-humanism and puts forwards the idea of dissolution of the subject. Either "the Death of man" or "the End of man" indicates the dethronement of the subject from the centre of historical development--the theoretical foundation of humanism.The concluding part of this dissertation recognizes the value of the theoretical anti-humanism by analyzing once again the relationship between Marxism and humanism. Marxism is not same as humanism. Marx is not only a humanitarian but also a dialectical materialist, economist and proletarian revolutionist. Therefore, the theoretical anti-humanism possesses a profound meaning in opposing humanism Marxism.