Dr Christopher Kollmeyer 26 Feb 2008 SO4530 Antonio Gramsci: Power through Ideological Leadership
A reminder to 4 th -year undergraduates Please take the National Student Survey:
Note on Readings The Gramsci Reader Pp (section on culture as common sense) Deguili and Kollmeyer Bringing Gramsci Back In Pp
Biographical Notes on Gramsci Italian (born 1891, died 1937) University at Turin (Fiat and class conflict) Co-founder of Italian Communist Party Jailed by Mussolini in 1926 Main work: Prison Notebooks
Culture, Ideology, & Early Marxism Karl Marx Base-Superstructure Exploitation class consciousness Friedrich Engels False consciousness
State-Civil Society Distinction in Politics Rule by controlling state politics: How much coercion is needed? Compromise Coercion Hegemony (Soft power) Domination (Hard power)
Rule through Civil Society: How accepted are the ideas of the dominant class? Hegemony Leadership Common Sense VeryNot at all Counter- Hegemony? Opposition
Key Concepts Restated The State Civil Society Hegemony –State Politics (compromise) –Civil Society (intellectual leadership) Common Sense Counter-hegemony War of manoeuvre vs. War of position
Summary Modes of rule according to Gramsci: 1.Ideological leadership (CS hegemony) 2.Compromise (Political hegemony) 3.Coercion (Police-military force) Hegemony re-established daily Significant political change requires new morality