Interpellation (philosophy)

In Marxist theory, especially that of Louis Althusser, interpellation is a culture's or ideology's creating of identity for "individuals". Althusser wrote that, with interpellation, "individuals are always-already subjects." The "individual" is even "interpellated as a (free)[sic] subject ... that he shall submit freely[sic] to the commandments of the Subject, i.e. in order that he shall (freely)[sic] accept his subjection". According to Althusser, every society is made up of ideological state apparatuses (ISAs) and repressive state apparatuses (RSAs) which are instrumental to constant reproduction of the relations to the production of that given society. While RSAs are institutions that directly repress dissent and opposition (police/military) ISAs reproduce capitalism through non-repressive ideological means (family, church, schools, the media and politics). Consequently, 'interpellation' describes the process by which ideology, embodied in major social and political institutions (ISAs and RSAs), constitutes the very nature of individual subjects' identities through the process of "hailing" them in social interactions. Althusser's thought has made significant contributions to other French philosophers, notably Derrida, Kristeva, Barthes, Foucault, Deleuze, and Badiou. In "Ideology and Ideological State Apparatuses (Notes Towards an Investigation)", Althusser introduces the concepts of ideological state apparatuses (ISA), repressive state apparatuses (RSAs), ideology, and interpellation. In his writing, Althusser argues that "there is no ideology except by the subject and for the subject". This notion of subjectivity becomes central to his writings. To illustrate this concept, Althusser gives the example of a friend who knocks on a door. The person inside asks "Who is there?" and only opens the door once the "It's me" from the outside sounds familiar. By doing so, the person inside partakes in "a material ritual practice of ideological recognition in everyday life".