The Routledge guidebook to Gramsci's Prison notebooks / John Schwarzmantel.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Schwarzmantel, J. J. (John J.), 1947- author.

Series:

Routledge guides to the great books

The Routledge guides to the great books

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Gramsci, Antonio, 1891-1937. Quaderni del carcere.

Gramsci, Antonio.

Political science--Philosophy.

Political science.

Quaderni del carcere (Gramsci, Antonio).

Physical Description:

xiv, 306 pages ; 21 cm.

Other Title:

Guidebook to Gramsci's Prison notebooks

Place of Publication:

Abingdon, Oxon ; New York, NY : Routledge, 2015.

Summary:

"Gramsci's Prison Notebooks are one of the most important and original sources of modern political philosophy but the Prison Notebooks present great difficulties to the reader. Not originally intended for publication, their fragmentary character and their often cryptic language can mystify readers, leading to misinterpretation of the text. The Routledge Guidebook to Gramsci's Prison Notebooks provides readers with the historical background, textual analysis and other relevant information needed for a greater understanding and appreciation of this classic text. This guidebook: - Explains the arguments presented by Gramsci in a clear and straightforward way, analysing the key concepts of the notebooks. - Situates Gramsci's ideas in the context of his own time, and in the history of political thought demonstrating the innovation and originality of the Prison Notebooks. - Provides critique and analysis of Gramsci's conceptualisation of politics and history (and culture in general), with reference to contemporary (i.e. present-day) examples where relevant. - Examines the relevance of Gramsci in the modern world and discusses why his ideas have such resonance in academic discourse Featuring historical and political examples to illustrate Gramsci's arguments, along with suggestions for further reading, this is an invaluable guide for anyone who wants to engage more fully with The Prison Notebooks"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

1 Gramsci before the Prison Notebooks 1

The early Gramsci 5

Suggestions for further reading 28

2 The Nature and genesis of Gramsci's Prison Notebooks 30

Key themes and originality of the Prison Notebooks 30

Nature and writing of the Prison Notebooks 39

Suggestions for further reading 66

3 Intellectuals and education 68

The problem of intellectuals 68

Defining the intellectual 72

Organic intellectuals and the political party 81

On education 89

Suggestions for further reading 94

4 History and modernity 96

The Risorgimento: hegemony and subalternity 98

Passive revolution 104

From Risorgimento to fascism, and beyond 110

History and modernity 115

Americanism and Fordism 123

Socialism and modernity 127

Fordism in communism and fascism 133

Gramsci as a theorist of modernity 143

Suggestions for further reading 149

5 Politics, state and civil society 150

Interpreting Machiavelli 154

The autonomy of the political: against economic determinism 159

The political party as the modern Prince 167

Rulers and ruled: leadership and the masses 174

Caesarism and the crisis of the state 181

Concepts of the state 189

The sphere of civil society 199

War of position 205

Suggestions for further reading 212

6 Philosophy and Marxism 214

The philosophy of praxis 214

What is philosophy? 218

Marxism as popular philosophy 222

Historicism 226

Base, superstructure, historical bloc 233

The critique of Croce 242

Immanence and transcendence 255

Critical evaluation 261

Suggestions for further reading 265

7 The afterlife and influence of Gramsci's Prison Notebooks 266

Gramsci and post-war Italy 268

National and global: debates outside Italy 278

Gramsci and the analysis of Thatcherism 285.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9780415714167

0415714168

9780415714174

0415714176

OCLC:

896902481