Politics and philosophy : : Niccolo Machiavelli and Louis Althusser's aleatory materialism / / by Mikko Lahtinen ; translated by Gareth Griffiths and Kristina Kohli.

• Author: Lahtinen, Mikko.
• TeilnehmendeR: Griffiths, Gareth.; Kolhi, Kristina.
• Year of Publication: 2009
• Edition: 1st ed.
• Language: English
• Series: Historical Materialism Book Series 23.
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (352 p.)
• Notes: Translated from the Finnish.
• Other title: Preliminary Material /; Chapter One. Introductory Comments /; Chapter Two. A Critique Of Hegelianism /; Chapter Three. Aleatory Materialism /; Chapter Four. Althusser’S Aleatory Machiavelli /; Chapter Five. The Subversive Machiavelli /; Chapter Six. Conclusion /; References /; Index /
• Bibliography: Includes bibliographical references (p. [313-321) and index.
• ISBN: 1282602780; 9786612602788; 904742994X
• Hierarchical level: Monograph
• Statement of Responsibility: by Mikko Lahtinen ; translated by Gareth Griffiths and Kristina Kohli.

Louis Althusser’s interpretation of Niccolò Machiavelli has never really been studied in any detail as an analysis of political action and intervention. The same is also true for Althusser’s notion of aleatory materialism. Instead, these have conventionally been studied from the viewpoint of a philosophical perspective in which politics is excluded. The objective of the present book thus runs against many of the prevailing views on Althusser. Here the emphasis is placed on Althusser's advancement of a theory of materialist politics. The main argument put forward is that, for Althusser, it was essential to reflect on how the conjunctural understanding of history and reality could offer a theoretical starting point for a subversive political strategy.