2. Gramsci, Antonio (1891-1937)
‘Italian communist and social theorist.
Born in Sardinia and educated in
Turin, Gramsci became one of the
most celebrated 20th-century
interpreters of Marx. A principal
founder and the first general
secretary of the Italian communist
party, he was imprisoned from 1926
until his death. His major work is the
posthumous Prison Notebooks,
written between 1929 and 1935,
which propounds a humanistic
Antonio Gramsci (en.wikipedia.org) Marxism, stressing the need for a
transformed self-consciousness or
‘battle of ideas’ in society before
revolution would occur, and therefore
dismissing the historical fatalism and
materialism of orthodox Marxism.'
(Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy, 2013)
3. The text ‘Politics and Culture’ consits of a
selection of certain articles from the
edited book ‘Antonio Gramsci : Cultural
Writings’ (1985).
Gramsci defines culture as an intellectual
activity.
Therefore, when analysing the
http://images.betterworldbooks.com
relationship between culture and
politics,
• Selected articles touch upon different
aspects of intellectual activity such as
education, literature and art.
• The role of cultural and intellectual
activities in the development of the
proletariat is emphasized.
4. 1. For a cultural association
Gramsci (1985) lists the requirements of an ideal cultural association for the
proletariat
• Integration of political and economic activity with an organ of cultural activity for a
compact proletarian movement Establishment of a cultural association as a
necessary organ in the complexity of the life of the proletariat
• Need of a preparation (set of definite goals) and conviction (trust in leaders) to be
deliberate in actions any moment
Gramsci (1985) also provides:
• Criticism of the existing economic and political bodies:Economic and political action
should consider the moral, religious and philosophical problems Socialism as a
means for creation of new morality against the present dogmatic and intolerant
mentality in Italy
• Questioning the role of the intellectuals in this movement praising the
participation of the English intellectual and university world to forums of powerful
organizations of proletariat and socialist culture
5. 2.Philantrophy, good will and organization
Gramsci (1985) defines culture as
‘exercise of thought, acquisition of general ideas, habit of connecting causes and
effects’
Being emprically and primordially cultured:
Everybody thinks, connects causes and effects Everybody is cultured.
Being organically cultured: ‘Socratic idea of culture’
Thinking and acting well
already integrated with the concept of
freedom of thought
Culture as a basic concept
of Socialism
to be enlivened by the concept of
organization
(Gramsci, 1985)
6. 2.Philantrophy, good will and organization
The need of organized, disciplined and limited
class solidarity + the need of specific organs of
economic struggle
Synthesis-
Transferring these concepts (organization- solidarity)
habit of generalization
to cultural activity to enhance good will
as an alternative to philantrophy.
Organizing culture in the same way that we seek to
organize our any practical activity
Organization & solidarity
+
culture (as an exercise of thought)
(Gramsci, 1985)
7. 3. Single Language and Esperanto
Criticism of a single language It is not offered to overcome communication problems
but to enable capitalist activity of the bourgeois
Questioning artificial national language
(the publication of Novo Dizinario in Italy)Languge is formed and transformed by
stable contacts between various parts of a
nation , spread by productive activity of
writings, trade, commerce of the people
An example: Esperanto
A language without history, lacking expressive richness which comes from a variety of
dialects and forms assumed in different times?
Instability and complexity of social life
(new social stratums, new truths, new needs, Transformation of language
new moral and intellectual curiosities)
(Gramsci, 1985)
This is what would happen in any socialist collective formation
8. 4. Culture and Class Struggle
Gramsci (1985) criticizes people who cannot associate the proletariat with
intellectual activity and who confine the class stuggle into a raw propaganda.
‘ Yet the tone of articles and the Sponteanous formation of intellectual and
propaganda must always be just cultural hiearchy within the proletariat:
above this average level, so that
there is a stimulus to intellectual ‘…the word of socialist criticism is dissected,
progress…’ propagated, made ductile and malleable
for every mind and every culture.’
set of organs of capillary transmission of
opinion as an inevitable result of the
complex and varied environment in an
industrial city like Turin
(Gramsci, 1985)
9. 5. Serial Novels
Serial novels as a powerful factor in the formation of the mentality and morality
of people. (It reaches to milions of people everyday).
‘…a lachrymose literature only suitable
for stupefying women’
Serial novels has lost its character
and style , has become a source of
corruption The distribution ‘plots’ by authors to the
‘poor devils’ who extract infinite number
of chapters from them
Considering its power, the prejudice about serial novel should disappear and
they should start to perform as a service to the mentality of people again
(Gramsci, 1985)
10. 6. Communism and Art
Two main critism raised under this title:
Censorship of artwork by the officials of public security, the lawyers and
the cast-off journalists
Prejudice of ‘so-called intellectuals’ who consider worker’s movement and
communism as enemy of art and beauty and associate such values with the
regime of merchants
Appretiation of ‘genius’ only
How workers feel offendend in creation of art:
when it contributes the
‘…the slavery of wages and work cuts them off
monetary issues- supply and
from a world that integrates man’s life, that
demand
makes it worth living.’
Effects of politics
(who holds the power?) Counter example of Russian Communists:
on Multiplying schools, theaters, opera houses
intellectual and artistic Making galeries accesible to the crowds
activities Factories awarded with aesthetic and cultural
entertainments
(Gramsci, 1985)
11. 7. The problem of the school
Education Mentality construction of comrades
education ministers chosen acccording to the
caprice of political competition
Technical and political
problems of the school no serious and critical contribution to
problems of education
lack of interest of bourgeoisie
In councils
The school one of the most important and essential public activities
Success of the school the development of the communist state
Generations educated into practice of social discipline the realization of the
communist state
(Gramsci, 1985)
12. 8. Question of Culture
The proletarian revolutiona total revolution
+
Foundation of new modes of Formation of new standards, a
labour, new modes of new psychology, new ways of
production and distribution feeling, thinking and living (for
and by workers)
The problem of gaining
political and economic power + The problem of winning
intellectual power
Organizing itself (the proletariat)
politically and economically
+ Organizing itself (the proletariat)
culturally
(Gramsci, 1985)
13. 9. Party Art
• Critisism of the industrialization of art
‘the invasion of sharks into field of art, the industrialization of art for the
sharks’ benefit’
• It shows how different political approaches end in different critics of art pieces:
‘ We did not find, among the pictures on the show at the Valentino, anything
worthy being signalled to the workers’ attention for its intrinsic value.’
(Gramsci, 1985)
