Interpellation (philosophy)

Interpellation is associated in particular with the work of French philosopher Louis Althusser. In Marxist theory, interpellation is an important concept regarding the notion of ideology. According to Althusser, every society is made up of Ideological State Apparatuses (ISAs) and Repressive State Apparatuses (RSAs) which are instrumental to spread the dominant ideology of that given society. While ISAs belong to the private domain and refer to private institutions (family, church but also the media and politics), the RSA is one public institution (police/military) controlled by the government. 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, and Deleuze.

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”. In other words, Althusser’s central thesis is that “you and I are always already subjects” and are constantly engaging in everyday rituals, like greeting someone or shaking hands, which makes us subjected to ideology.

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