POLITICS and CULTURE Antonio Gramsci

Güzin Şen 05.03.2013

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 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)

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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 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.

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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

1. For a cultural association

2.Philantrophy, good will and organization

Gramsci (1985) defines culture as ‘exercise of thought, acquisition of general ideas, habit of connecting causes and effects’

‘Socratic idea of culture’

Culture as a basic concept of Socialism

already integrated with the concept of freedom of thought

to be enlivened by the concept of organization

Being emprically and primordially cultured: Everybody thinks, connects causes and effects Everybody is cultured. Being organically cultured: Thinking and acting well

(Gramsci, 1985)

2.Philantrophy, good will and organization

The need of organized, disciplined and limited class solidarity + the need of specific organs of economic struggle Transferring these concepts (organization- solidarity) 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

Synthesis- habit of generalization

Organization & solidarity

+ culture (as an exercise of thought)

(Gramsci, 1985)

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,

new moral and intellectual curiosities)

Transformation of language

This is what would happen in any socialist collective formation (Gramsci, 1985)

Gramsci (1985) criticizes people who cannot associate the proletariat with intellectual activity and who confine the class stuggle into a raw propaganda.

4. Culture and Class Struggle

‘ Yet the tone of articles and the propaganda must always be just above this average level, so that there is a stimulus to intellectual progress…’

Sponteanous formation of intellectual and cultural hiearchy within the proletariat: ‘…the word of socialist criticism is dissected, 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)

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)

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 when it contributes the monetary issues- supply and demand

How workers feel offendend in creation of art: ‘…the slavery of wages and work cuts them off from a world that integrates man’s life, that makes it worth living.’

Counter example of Russian Communists: Multiplying schools, theaters, opera houses Making galeries accesible to the crowds Factories awarded with aesthetic and cultural entertainments

Effects of politics (who holds the power?)

on intellectual and artistic

activities

(Gramsci, 1985)

7. The problem of the school

Education Mentality construction of comrades

Technical and political problems of the school

education ministers chosen acccording to the caprice of political competition 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)

8. Question of Culture

The proletarian revolutiona total revolution

Foundation of new modes of labour, new modes of

production and distribution + Formation of new standards, a

new psychology, new ways of 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)

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)

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