Abstract

ARIAS MEJIA, Juan Camilo. Re-thinking national-State: Poulantzas contributions to current debates on the Capitalist State. Investig. desarro. [online]. 2016, vol.24, n.1, pp.163-190. ISSN 0121-3261.  https://doi.org/10.14482/indes.24.1.8689.

This article explores the phenomenon of national states from a histórical and materialist perspective in the work State, Power and Socialism (SPS) of Nicos Poulantzas in order to identify analytical tools which contribute to understand contemporary problems of the state - particularly in the context of globalization. In order to achieve this, it is exposed the specific nature of the Capitalist Type of State (CTS) and the role that this form of state played in shaping the "symbolic fence" which is known as the nation. In other words, it is emphasized the historical nature of both processes (nation and state formation) while the inherent limitations of the Weberian approaches which seek to explain the capitalist state from a "mystified" perspective. Through a dialogue with recent studies from social sciences, emphasis is made on actuality of the last phase of Poulantzas's work to go beyond trends announcing the dissolution of the national state in the era of global capitalism, to rather comprehend both its contemporary transformations and the role - still essential - that it plays in the reproduction of transnational capital.

Keywords : Estado capitalista; nación; memoria; totalitarismo; clases sociales; globalización; capitalist state; nation; memory; totalitarianism; social classes; globalization.

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