Antonio Gramsci: Power through Ideological Leadership

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Antonio Gramsci Power through Ideological
Leadership
Dr Christopher Kollmeyer
27 Feb 2007 SO4530
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Discussion Facilitator and Brief Essay
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Biographical Notes of Interest

• Italian (born 1891, died 1937)
• University at Turin (Fiat and class conflict)
• Co-founder of Italian Communist Party
• Jailed by Mussolini in 1926
• Main works Prison Notebooks

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Culture, Ideology, Early Marxism

• Karl Marx
• Base-Superstructure
• Exploitation ?class consciousness
• Friedrich Engels
• False consciousness

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State-Civil Society Distinction in Politics

• Rule through State Politics How much coercion is
  needed?

Compromise
Coercion
Hegemony (Soft power)
Domination (Hard power)
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Rule through Civil Society How accepted are
the ideas of the dominant class?

Very
Not at all
Hegemony Leadership Common Sense
Counter-Hegemony? Opposition
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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

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Summary

• Modes of rule according to Gramsci
• Ideological leadership (CS hegemony)
• Compromise (Political hegemony)
• Coercion (Police-military force)
• Hegemony re-established daily
• Political change requires new morality