th us ser ▁recommended ▁the ▁psych ological ▁theory ▁of ▁Sig mund ▁Fre ud ▁and ▁Jacques ▁Lac an ▁in ▁the ▁French ▁Commun ist ▁Party ▁journal ▁La ▁Nouvelle ▁Crit ique ▁specifically ▁as ▁a ▁" s cience ▁of ▁the ▁( human ) ▁un cons cious ". ▁In ▁the ▁gl oss ary ▁of ▁his ▁famous ▁book ▁Reading ▁Capital ▁( co - written ▁with ▁Ét ienne ▁Bal ib ar ), ▁Al th us ser ▁announ ces : ▁ ▁Crit ics ▁of ▁this ▁idea ▁argue ▁people ▁are ▁not ▁merely ▁the ▁" b ear ers " ▁of ▁social ▁relations , ▁they ▁are ▁also ▁the ▁" cons cious ▁operators " ▁of ▁social ▁relations ▁– ▁social ▁relations ▁which ▁would ▁not ▁exist ▁at ▁all , ▁unless ▁people ▁cons ci ously ▁interact ed ▁and ▁co oper ated ▁with ▁each ▁other . ▁The ▁real ▁analyt ical ▁difficulty ▁in ▁social ▁science ▁is , ▁that ▁people ▁both ▁make ▁their ▁social ▁relations , ▁but ▁also ▁particip ate ▁in ▁social ▁relations ▁which ▁they ▁did ▁not ▁make ▁or ▁cons ci ously ▁choose ▁themselves . ▁Some ▁roles ▁in ▁society ▁are ▁cons ci ously ▁and ▁volunt arily ▁chosen ▁by ▁individuals , ▁other ▁roles ▁are ▁con ferred ▁on ▁people ▁simply ▁by ▁being ▁and ▁particip ating ▁in ▁society ▁with ▁a ▁given ▁status . ▁Some ▁roles ▁are ▁also ▁a ▁mixture ▁of ▁both : ▁once ▁people ▁have ▁chosen ▁a ▁role , ▁they ▁may ▁have ▁that ▁role , ▁whether ▁they ▁like ▁it ▁or ▁not ; ▁or , ▁once ▁hab itu ated ▁to ▁role , ▁people ▁continue ▁to ▁perform ▁the ▁role ▁even ▁although ▁they ▁could ▁in ▁principle ▁choose