Étienne Balibar
Encyclopedia
Étienne Balibar is a French
Marxist philosopher. After the death of his teacher Louis Althusser
, Balibar quickly became the leading exponent of French Marxist philosophy
.
. Balibar was a participant in Louis Althusser's
seminar on Karl Marx's
Das Kapital
. This seminar resulted in the book entitled Reading Capital
, coauthored by Althusser and his students, among whom Althusser considered Balibar's contribution the foremost. Balibar currently teaches philosophy and political theory at Paris X Nanterre and University of California, Irvine
.
In Masses, Classes and Ideas, Balibar argues that in Das Kapital, the theory of historical materialism
comes into conflict with the critical theory
that Marx begins to develop, particularly in his analysis of the category of labor, which in capitalism
becomes a form of property
. This conflict involves two distinct uses of the term "labor": labor as the revolutionary class subject (i.e., the "proletariat
") and labor as an objective condition for the reproduction of capitalism (the "working class
"). In The German Ideology
, Marx conflates these two meanings of labor, and treats labor as, in Balibar’s words, the “veritable site of truth as well as the place from which the world is changed..." In Capital, however, the disparity between these two senses of labor becomes apparent. One manifestation of this is the virtual disappearance in the text of the term "proletariat." As Balibar points out, the term appears only twice in the first edition of Capital, published in 1867: in the dedication to Wilhelm Wolff
and in the two final sections on the "General Law of Capitalist Accumulation". For Balibar, what this problem implies is that "the emergence of a revolutionary form of subjectivity (or identity)... is never a specific property of nature, and therefore brings with it no guarantees, but obliges us to search for the conditions in a conjuncture
that can precipitate class struggles into mass movements...". Moreover, "[t]here is no proof… that these forms are always and eternally the same (for example, the party-form, or the trade union
)."
Balibar's daughter is the actress Jeanne Balibar
.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Marxist philosopher. After the death of his teacher Louis Althusser
Louis Althusser
Louis Pierre Althusser was a French Marxist philosopher. He was born in Algeria and studied at the École Normale Supérieure in Paris, where he eventually became Professor of Philosophy....
, Balibar quickly became the leading exponent of French Marxist philosophy
Marxist philosophy
Marxist philosophy or Marxist theory are terms that cover work in philosophy that is strongly influenced by Karl Marx's materialist approach to theory or that is written by Marxists...
.
Life and work
Balibar first rose to prominence as one of Althusser's pupils at the École Normale SupérieureÉcole Normale Supérieure
The École normale supérieure is one of the most prestigious French grandes écoles...
. Balibar was a participant in Louis Althusser's
Louis Althusser
Louis Pierre Althusser was a French Marxist philosopher. He was born in Algeria and studied at the École Normale Supérieure in Paris, where he eventually became Professor of Philosophy....
seminar on Karl Marx's
Karl Marx
Karl Heinrich Marx was a German philosopher, economist, sociologist, historian, journalist, and revolutionary socialist. His ideas played a significant role in the development of social science and the socialist political movement...
Das Kapital
Das Kapital
Das Kapital, Kritik der politischen Ökonomie , by Karl Marx, is a critical analysis of capitalism as political economy, meant to reveal the economic laws of the capitalist mode of production, and how it was the precursor of the socialist mode of production.- Themes :In Capital: Critique of...
. This seminar resulted in the book entitled Reading Capital
Reading Capital
Reading Capital is a 1965 work of Marxist philosophy and theory. The book collects essays developed by Louis Althusser and his students in a seminar on Karl Marx's Das Kapital which took place earlier in 1965...
, coauthored by Althusser and his students, among whom Althusser considered Balibar's contribution the foremost. Balibar currently teaches philosophy and political theory at Paris X Nanterre and University of California, Irvine
University of California, Irvine
The University of California, Irvine , founded in 1965, is one of the ten campuses of the University of California, located in Irvine, California, USA...
.
In Masses, Classes and Ideas, Balibar argues that in Das Kapital, the theory of historical materialism
Historical materialism
Historical materialism is a methodological approach to the study of society, economics, and history, first articulated by Karl Marx as "the materialist conception of history". Historical materialism looks for the causes of developments and changes in human society in the means by which humans...
comes into conflict with the critical theory
Critical theory
Critical theory is an examination and critique of society and culture, drawing from knowledge across the social sciences and humanities. The term has two different meanings with different origins and histories: one originating in sociology and the other in literary criticism...
that Marx begins to develop, particularly in his analysis of the category of labor, which in capitalism
Capitalism
Capitalism is an economic system that became dominant in the Western world following the demise of feudalism. There is no consensus on the precise definition nor on how the term should be used as a historical category...
becomes a form of property
Property
Property is any physical or intangible entity that is owned by a person or jointly by a group of people or a legal entity like a corporation...
. This conflict involves two distinct uses of the term "labor": labor as the revolutionary class subject (i.e., the "proletariat
Proletariat
The proletariat is a term used to identify a lower social class, usually the working class; a member of such a class is proletarian...
") and labor as an objective condition for the reproduction of capitalism (the "working class
Working class
Working class is a term used in the social sciences and in ordinary conversation to describe those employed in lower tier jobs , often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes...
"). In The German Ideology
The German Ideology
The German Ideology is a book written by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels around April or early May 1846. Marx and Engels did not find a publisher. However, the work was later retrieved and published for the first time in 1932 by David Riazanov through the Marx-Engels Institute in Moscow...
, Marx conflates these two meanings of labor, and treats labor as, in Balibar’s words, the “veritable site of truth as well as the place from which the world is changed..." In Capital, however, the disparity between these two senses of labor becomes apparent. One manifestation of this is the virtual disappearance in the text of the term "proletariat." As Balibar points out, the term appears only twice in the first edition of Capital, published in 1867: in the dedication to Wilhelm Wolff
Wilhelm Wolff
Wilhelm Friedrich Wolff, nicknamed Lupus was a German schoolmaster from Tarnau , Galicia. In 1831 he became active as a radical student organization member, something he was imprisoned for between 1834 and 1838...
and in the two final sections on the "General Law of Capitalist Accumulation". For Balibar, what this problem implies is that "the emergence of a revolutionary form of subjectivity (or identity)... is never a specific property of nature, and therefore brings with it no guarantees, but obliges us to search for the conditions in a conjuncture
Conjuncture
In general, a conjuncture is a period marked by some watershed event which separates different epochs.In economics, conjuncture is a critical combination of events....
that can precipitate class struggles into mass movements...". Moreover, "[t]here is no proof… that these forms are always and eternally the same (for example, the party-form, or the trade union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
)."
Balibar's daughter is the actress Jeanne Balibar
Jeanne Balibar
Jeanne Balibar is a French actress and singer.She was born in Paris. She began her acting career on the stage, in "Don Juan" at the Festival d'Avignon. Her first film role was in Arnaud Desplechin's 1992 film The Sentinel. She continues to perform in both spheres.Recently she starred in Ne Change...
.
Works in French
- 1965: Lire le Capital. With Louis Althusser et al.
- 1974: Cinq Etudes du Matérialisme Historique.
- 1976: Sur La Dictature du Prolétariat.
- 1985: Spinoza et la politique.
- 1988: Race, Nation, Classe. With Immanuel WallersteinImmanuel WallersteinImmanuel Maurice Wallerstein is a US sociologist, historical social scientist, and world-systems analyst...
. - 1991: Écrits pour Althusser.
- 1997: La crainte des masses.
- 1998: Droit de cité. Culture et politique en démocratie.
- 1999: Sans-papiers: l’archaïsme fatal.
- 2001: Nous, citoyens d’Europe? Les frontières, l’État, le peuple.
- 2003: L'Europe, l'Amérique, la Guerre. Réflexions sur la médiation européenne.
- 2005: Europe, Constitution, Frontière.
Selected translations
- 1970: Reading CapitalReading CapitalReading Capital is a 1965 work of Marxist philosophy and theory. The book collects essays developed by Louis Althusser and his students in a seminar on Karl Marx's Das Kapital which took place earlier in 1965...
(London: NLB). With Louis Althusser. Trans. Ben Brewster. - 1977: On the Dictatorship of the Proletariat (London: NLB). Trans. Grahame Lock.
- 1991: Race, Nation, Class: Ambiguous Identities (London & New York: Verso). With Immanuel Wallerstein. Trans. Chris Turner.
- 1994: Masses, Classes, Ideas: Studies on Politics and Philosophy Before and After Marx (New York & London: Routledge). Trans. James Swenson.
- 1995: The Philosophy of Marx (London & New York: Verso). Trans. Chris Turner.
- 1998: Spinoza and Politics (London & New York: Verso). Trans. Peter Snowdon.
- 2002: Politics and the Other Scene (London & New York: Verso). Trans. Christine Jones, James Swenson & Chris Turner.
- 2004: We, the People of Europe? Reflections on Transnational Citizenship (Princeton & Oxford: Princeton University Press). Trans. James Swenson.
Online texts
- Occasional Notes on Communism. In: Krisis: Journal for Contemporary Philosophy
- Theses for an Alter-Globalising Europe .
- Reading Capital (1968).
- Self-Criticism: Answers to Questions from Theoretical Practice (1973).
- On the Dictatorship of the Proletariat (1977).
- At The Borders Of Europe (1999).
External links
- Selected bibliography (up to 1998).
- Review of We, the People of Europe? Reflections on Transnational Citizenship.
- Racisms, Migration & Citizenship in Europe: Etienne Balibar and Sandro Mezzadra in Conversation (Audio-English) - darkmatter Journal, 5 Aug 2007.
- intervention d'Etienne Balibar & Moishe Postone Congrès Marx International V : Altermondialisme/ anticapitalisme. Pour une cosmopolitique alternative. Octobre 2007
- Debating with Alain Badiou on Universalism Opening statement, 2007 Koehn Event in Critical Theory. A dialogue between Alain Badiou and Etienne Balibar on "Universalism", University of California Irvine, February 2, 2007
- Etienne Balibar’s Lecture Spinoza’s Three Gods and the Modes of Communication at the Conference of the Birkbeck Institute for the Humanities Thinking with Spinoza: Politics, Philosophy and Religion, 7th & 8th May 2009 (podcast)