Althusser's book 'To Be a Marxist in Philosophy' was published nearly a quarter-century after the author's death in 1990. The manuscript was completed about a decade and a half before the passing of the author of 'Reading Capital,' and half a decade before the tragedy that ended his brilliant and controversial career in Marxist philosophical thought. This was with the exception of a final spark, during the decade between the tragedy and his death, which was the basis for the 'discovery' of another Althusser, or the 'late Althusser,' whom some have tried to place in opposition to his previous revolutionary commitment. 'To Be a Marxist...' is one of the posthumous works that support this 'discovery'. The book is associated, both in its writing and publication dates, for French and Arab readers alike, with the release of its twin 'Initiation to Philosophy for Non-Philosophers'. Althusser gives both books the form of a 'manuel,' as he puts it, a form of rewriting the history of philosophy in an educational manner that serves as a comprehensive summary. This acts as a two-stage prelude to presenting the thesis of the 'late Althusser.' From this perspective, rewriting history aims at a kind of 're-foundation' that emerges from a 'crisis' and serves as the culmination of a journey.

• Author: Louis Althusser
• Publishing House: Dar Al Farabi for Publishing and Distribution
• Year of Publication: 2018
• Number of Pages: 256