The Capitalist State: Reply to Nicos Poulantzas

Abstract

In this chapter the author welcomes Nicos Poulantzas's critique of The State in Capitalist Society. While some of Poulantzas's criticisms are unwarranted, the author's purpose is only incidentally to 'defend' the book; his main purpose is rather to take up some general points which arise from Poulantzas's review and which seems to be of particular interest in the investigation of the nature and role of the state in capitalist society. The first such point concerns the question of method. Poulantzas's critique of the author's approach also underlies other points of difference between them. His references to the sections of the author's book devoted to ideology also raises points of great substance. Finally, Poulantzas notes that the author's book says very little by way of 'political conclusions'. If by 'political conclusions' is meant 'where do we go from here?' and 'how?', the point is well taken.