Antonio Gramsci
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Antonio Gramsci (1891-1937) was an Italian Marxist theorist and politician who emphasized the role of the state in society and introduced the concept of hegemony, where the ruling class maintains dominance through consent rather than coercion. He critiqued democracy as a facade for bourgeois hegemony, asserting that capitalism will not collapse without the proletariat developing its own consciousness and ideology. Gramsci's work explores the dialectical relationship between social forces, class struggle, and the formation of ideology and consciousness.
Antonio Gramsci
- 2. OVERVIEW Who was Antonio Gramsci? In what way was he a Marxist? What was Gramsci’s notion of the state and hegemony? In what way was Gramsci’s ideas a critique of democracy?
- 3. A. gramsci (1891-1937) Italian of working-class background Political career began as a journalist for the Italian Socialist Party Founding member (and later head) of the Italian Communist Party Imprisoned for his opposition to Mussolini
- 4. gramsci’s marxisM Gramsci dwells on many elements of Marx’s thinking Dialectical Materialism Class Struggle Substructure and Superstructure He built on Marxist thought by emphasizing the role of the state and society in the dialectical process
- 5. the state Economic forces of production (substructure) affect the development of the state However, as the superstructure the state does not develop spontaneously nor haphazardly The state is an ethical agent in the shaping of society according to the needs of productive forces
- 6. hegemony The state educates the citizenry to obtain the consent of the governed This maintains the dominance of the ruling class This is achieved through persuasion and the intellectual influence of dominant political associations Syndicates Political parties
- 7. POLITICAL SOCIETY civiL SOCIETY Coercive apparatus of the state Maintenance of dominance by force Appropriate to the economic substructure Hegemony of dominant social groups Maintenance of dominance by persuasion Private political associations
- 8. social Development The development of societies is contingent on the development of consciousness and ideology Consciousness Identification with a particular class Expression of a particular world view Ideology The projection of a particular class interest
- 9. STAGES Social forces result in the creation of economic classes Dialectical materialism in action The degree of homogeneity and self awareness of each social class increases Development of class consciousness
- 10. stages The dominant group develops its own ideology and establishes its hegemony over society Dominance in civil society Capture of the state mechanism When hegemony weakens, coercive force is necessary to maintain societal control
- 11. the critique Democracy, as the form of rule of the bourgeois, is based on bourgeois hegemony Capitalism will not collapse on its own unless the proletariat develops its own consciousness and ideology In this manner, the proletariat can achieve its own hegemony
Editor's Notes
- #2: Learning Objectives: 1.) To become acquainted with Gramsci’s brand of Marxism. 2.) To understand Gramsci’s concept of hegemony and its implications in terms of assessing democratic states.