History and Imperialism: Writings, 1963-1986

215 Pages·2020·1.348 MB·English

by  Louis Althusser

History and Imperialism

History and
Imperialism
Writings, 1963–1986
Louis Althusser
Edited and Translated by G.M. Goshgarian
polity
First published in French as Écrits sur l’histoire (1963–1986), © Presses Universitaires de
France Humensis, 2018
This English edition © Polity Press, 2020
Polity Press
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ISBN-13: 978-1-5095-3722-8
ISBN-13: 978-1-5095-3723-5 (pb)
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Althusser, Louis, 1918-1990. author. | Goshgarian, G. M., translator, editor.
Title: History and imperialism : writings, 1963-1986 / Louis Althusser ; translated by G.M.
Goshgarian.
Description: Cambridge, UK ; Medford, MA, USA : Polity, 2019. | Originally published:
Ecrits sur l’histoire, 1963-1986. Paris : Humensis, 2018. | Includes bibliographical
references and index. | Summary: Writings on History brings together a selection of texts
by Louis Althusser dating from 1963 to 1986, including essays, a lecture, notes to his
collaborators, and the transcript of an informal 1963 discussion of literary history. These
writings are concerned with the place of history in Marxist theory--Provided by publisher.
Identifiers: LCCN 2019024082 (print) | LCCN 2019024083 (ebook) | ISBN 9781509537228
| ISBN 9781509537235 (pb) | ISBN 9781509537242 (epub)
Subjects: LCSH: History--Philosophy. | Historicism.
Classification: LCC B2430.A472 E5 2019 (print) | LCC B2430.A472 (ebook) | DDC
194--dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019024082
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019024083
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by Fakenham Prepress Solutions, Fakenham, Norfolk NR21 8NL
Printed and bound in Great Britain by CPI Group (UK) Ltd Croydon
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Contents
Acknowledgements ix
Note on the Text xi
A Conversation on Literary History (1963) 1
Supplementary Note on History (1965–1966?) 31
On Genesis (1966) 33
How Can Something Substantial Change? (1970) 37
To Gretzky (1973) (extract) 40
Draft of a Reply to Pierre Vilar (undated: 1972?
1973?) 45
Book on Imperialism (1973) (extracts) 48
Marx and History (1975) 144
On History (1986) 156
Notes 158
Index 181

Historicism is politics tailing history, the communists’
politics tailing bourgeois history
Louis Althusser, Note in the margin of a draft of his 23
April 1976 presentation of his collection Positions
What is historicism, if not the philosophical expression
of political opportunism, its justification and point of
honour?
Louis Althusser, Letter of 28 July 1986
to his Italian comrades

Acknowledgements
G.M. Goshgarian thanks Nathalie Léger, director of the
Institut mémoires de l’édition contemporaine, together
with the rest of the Imec staff, and also François Boddaert,
Jackie Épain, Luke Épain, Peter Schöttler and Laurie
Tuller.