- What is a Repressive State Apparatus? Why does Althusser call it “repressive”? Can we explain his choice of words here. Give an example.
Repressive state apparatus is when the government use force to keep citizens in line and follow rules. This is also why he calls it repressive, because of the use of force in order to keep the population obedient. I think he used the word repressive because which ever country uses repressive state apparatus does not kindly ask citizens to obey the law pretty please with cherry on top instead law is enforced by saying, follow the law and live in society or break the law and you’ll be removed.
2. Let’s do the same for the Ideological State Apparatuses. What are they, how do they seem to work?
ideological state apparatus, they use the ideologies in order to enforce law, like changing someone’s beliefs and shaping their morals and values those values often starts in a school environment. Or for adults in religious institutions like a church.
3. Post an example of ideology. This could be a piece of writing, an image, video, pdf document, visual art, or music, clip from a movie. Next to your example, specify if this is an example of repressive or ideological apparatuses at work. I’ll start us of off by giving an example.
In this clip from the critically acclaimed video game, red dead redemption 2 the main character Arthur Morgan went fishing with a little boy named Jack after that we appreciate repressive apparatus from the Pinkerton Detective agency as detective Milton and detective Ross confront Arthur Morgan, both sides get heated up and agent Milton says “you people venerate savagery and you will die savagely”
later on in the story, the Pinkerton detective agency catch up with the outlaw gang in their own camp:
in this clip the leader dutch uses ideology to justify his wicked ways, he does what he does to live. after the Pinkerton show up in (1:00) telling everyone that their way of life is coming to an end they can either get with the program and live like decent human beings or alternatively they get locked up or hanged. We also see ideology in Dutch saying “this place is no such thing as civilized it is man so in love with greed, that he has lost himself and found only appetites” Dutch critique civilization by questioning the idea that civilization represents progress which in the time this game takes place historically was a time of expansion and industrialization. He uses the word “greed” when talking about the civilized people, he says that because he argues that society only progresses by biting more than they can chew. Taking what wasn’t theirs and valuing riches over human bonds. Like the bond he has with his gang. In a way, he’s also saying that society and the outlaws have more in common than one might think.
