Why another Marxist theory of ideology?

This chapter tries to further justify a return to Marx, as well as the need for a systematisation of his thought, and for another theory of ideology. It begins by drawing some simplified and rough distinctions (to help ease the reader into the difficult material ahead) between classical Marxism, post-Marxism and neo-Marxism. Then, a whole section (and various subsections) are dedicated to answering the criticisms against Marxist theory presented by the following ‘neo-Marxist’ authors: Max Horkheimer, Adorno, Antonio Negri, Žižek, Heide Gerstenberger, and John Holloway, as well as assessing the alternatives they propose. After that, the same analysis of criticisms and alternatives is carried out by reference to Cornelius Castoriadis and Jacques Derrida. The following sections deal with criticisms against attempts to systematise Marx’s thought and theories of ideology. The final section discusses alternative conceptions of ideology presented by Adorno and Žižek. The overall aim of this chapter is to prove the ever-lasting significance of Marx’s concepts as well as the possibility of reconstructing his method in way that avoids determinism and teleology.