Gramsci political thinkers IR

Gramsci political thinkers IR

1. He could protect marxism from being described as “Crude-Economic determinism”.
2. Father of Neo-Marxism.
3. Founder of Communist Party of Italy.
4. Gramsci tried to understand the prediction of Marx that capitalism will die on its own than why it was not happening.
5. He was influenced by theory of history given by Benedetto Croce – Role of cultural factors in shaping history.
6. Realised importance of superstructure in shaping history.
7. Concept of Integral State – CS + State.

• Neo-Marxism – 
  • Critical School – Cultural Marxism
  • Structural School
• Marxism introduced by Gramsci –
  • Cultural Marxism
  • Open Marxism agains orthodox Marxism
• State can be classified in 2 types –
  • Transparent – Where CS is absent. Easy to understand exploitative nature of state. Single revolution is enough.
  • Opaque – Where CS exist. Difficult to understand real nature of state. Therefore revolution is not easy.
• Gramsci’s model of Base and Superstructure – 
  • 
  • Gramsci changed the conception of superstructure –
    • SS is not just a reflection of base.
    • SS is structure in itself.
    • Divided SS into two blocs –
      • CS – Media, Church, Educational Institution.
      • State – Political Society.
• Analysis of CS – 
  • In western countries CS enjoys “freedom.”
  • CS makes nature of state opaque.
  • CS acts as cushion.
  • CS plays primary role in maintaining capitalism.

1. CS manufactures consent meaning building hegemony.
2. Hegemony –
   1. Soft Power/power of attraction.
   2. Defines limit of common sense.
   3. It becomes difficult for people to understand anything beyond common sense.
   4. Build by intellectuals.
   5. Workers dream of bourgeoise way of life.
   6. Type of power in which exploited feels happiness in own’s exploitation.
   7. To be built on continuous basis.
   8. Organic Intellectual- Capitalist class brought set of intellectuals they build hegemony by their lifestyle. This class is known as organic intellectual.

• Intellectuals – Set of persons who helps us in making sense of this world.
• Marx on Intellectuals – 
  • Exploiters.
  • Generate False Consciousness.
  • In his theory of revolution, workers have to depend on their own consciousness rather than intellectual.
• Lenin on Intellectuals – 
  • Workers won’t be able to develop consciousness on their own.
  • He wanted middle class intellectuals in CP to act as leaders – “Vanguard of Revolution”.
• Gramsci on Intellectuals – 
  • Intellectuals belonged to working class.
  • Every human is intellectual, because there is not which don’t require intellect.
• Traditional Intellectuals – intellectuals of bygone era. Ex – Church fathers.
• Concept of Leadership – 
  • Ability to form alliances/coalitions.
  • Providing leadership.

• Difference between domination and hegemony –
  • Domination – Power/Influence. Generally associated with coercion.
  • Ideological Domination (Hegemony) – Represent power of attraction, consent.
• Counter Hegemony – Hegemony of Subaltern Class.
  • Why required – Convincing through legitimacy of cause.
  • How – Their own organic intellectual, workers need to do intellectual.
• In Gramsci revolution will proceed in 2 stages –
  • War of Position – Protracted War. The aim is to establish the counter hegemony. They need to capture CS first – Battle of Hegemony
  • War of movement/manoeuvre – This denotes armed action or direct attack. In this action will be able to capture state easily.

1. Acc to Gramsci history changes when SS changes.
2. SS is dominated by dominant class, which form historical bloc.
3. This bloc is to be replaced by historical class and an alliance of subaltern class.