Escaping Structuralism's Legacy: The Renewal of Theory and History in Historical Materialism

The project of renewing historical materialist theory for a new generation requires overcoming the limitations of Althusserian structuralism. Upon investigation, Althusser's theory is revealed to be idealist, inconsistent with the philosophy actually articulated by Marx, and unhelpful in understanding the dynamics of human societies. The flaws in this approach led both to E. P. Thompson's rejection of abstract theory altogether, and Michael Lebowitz's effort to "complete" Marx's theoretical project, while avoiding Althusser's structural determinism by incorporating agency and social struggle into the heart of political economy. Yet Lebowitz's theoretical system has very little to say about how these were historically practiced by classes as institutional formations in different spatio-temporal contexts. In this respect, the "Institutional Marxist" approach developed by Leo Panitch and Sam Gindin shows the most promise for further developing today's revival of historical materialism.