June 19, 2018:
"Philosophy": finally, the "definitive formula": philosophy is class struggle in theory — in the last instance. The purpose of philosophy is to intervene into the conjuncture; its goal is to alter the relationships defining the conjuncture in a partisan way — to shift the balance of forces in both philosophy itself and in the ideologies, in part by contributing to the constitution of the dominant ideology or to ideologies challenging it. All philosophers do this necessarily — "with or without their knowledge or consent" — Warren Montag. Thus, philosophy's job is not arbitrary, or at least, a Marxist's job isn't. Its work is to draw lines of demarcation: to define and clarify the ideological content of philosophies, including one's own, emphasizing the basic dividing lines of scientificity versus ideology, and of materialism versus idealism. Philosophers intervene. This is Althusser's mature conception of himself and of his project.
Althusser was sometimes accused by opponents of rigidity, peremptoriness, and other bad words meaning lack of humility and self-criticism. Yet he was continually reflecting, turning his theoretical tools onto himself, refining, in many cases rejecting and starting over. The evolution of his definition of philosophy over his three major periods is a striking example.