Re: Gramsci; fascism

["Bryan A. Alexander" <bnalexan@xxxxxxxxx>]

Louis raises a good point: what happens to hegemony and other major
Gramscian ideas that we derive from the PRISON NOTEBOOKS in these
PRE-PRISON WRITINGS?
        Editor of the latter volume Richard Bellamy argues that the idea
of hegemony is in fact present in the early works: "Although he [G.]
would only explore the full implications of this thesis with the
elaboration of his conception in the PRISON NOTEBOOKS, many of its main
features are already present in his early journalism, and occasionally he
even uses the term." (xxvii)  Bellamy goes on to identify the roots of
this concept in nineteenth-century philosopher Vincenzo Gioberti's notion
of "moral primacy" or superiority - that a sector might dominate others
in a system based on such evident leadership.  Gramsci takes this to mean
- in his early journalism - that the Party needs to use education and
propaganda to win the support of the broad bases of culture (workers and
peasants) while defeating the cultural efforts of Catholics and fascists
(xxviii).
        Where can we find this?  Two places.
        1. 14 October 1926, Gramsci pens the "Letter to the Central
Committee of the Soviet Communist Party."  Here he speaks specifically of
*workers' hegemony*: "...the hegemony of the proletariat..."  This seems
to cover both the rise to power of the working classes as well as the
constitution of their subsequent state.  This is a question of
organization, primarily: Gramsci focuses on the difficulties of defeating
the Church's ancient and well-honed "propaganda and organization" and
transcending older peasant mobilization patterns (310).  Reading this
letter we cannot lose sight of the ultimate focus: "...the principle and
practice of the hegemony of the proletariat... the fundamental relations
of alliance between the workers and peasants... the pillars or the
workers' State and the Revolution" (311).  Bellamy seems to be right,
here: this language certainly feels like what will become more elaborate
and powerful in the PRISON NOTEBOOKS.
        2. ms. from September-November 1926, "Some Aspects of the
Southern Question."  This unfinished draft expands somewhat on this
discussion.  Once again Gramsci focuses on the social (problematic
distinction from the cultural, I think).  "...the question of the
hegemony of the proletariat; in other words, the question of the social
basis of the proletarian dictatorship and the workers' State" (316).  The
revolution depends on "creating a system of class alliances which allow
it to mobilize the majority of the working population against capitalism
and the bourgeois State."  This is partly a question of consciousness -
"The metal-worker, the joiner, the builder, etc., must not only start
thinking as proletarians and not as metal-workers, joiners, builders,
etc.; [interesting point for Kenny's identity politics thesis!]" - and
also a question of tactics and community politics:  "... They
must think as workers who are members of a class that aims to lead the
peasants and intellectuals: a class that can only win and build socialism
if it is aided and followed by the great majority of those other social
strata" (322).    This seems very much to speak to hegemony: a strategy
aimed at eventual state power and based on positioning via alliances,
propaganda, self-conception.
        In these articles and letters Gramsci always sticks to this arc of
gradually increasing power, every increment a further move - newspaper
editorials, party configuration, legislative speeches, group alliances,
argicultural and industrial practice, the building of schools, helping
unions flourish in factories and building links between different ones,
criticizing or supporting artistic movements.  Gramsci discusses all of
these in the PRE-PRISON WRITINGS, and all in the context of a popular
front against fascism and within a growing proletarian hegemony.  There
we can read the first stage of hegemony as an idea and practice; the
NOTEBOOKS will take this still further.



Bryan Alexander
Department of English
University of Michigan
**********************

On Sun, 10 Dec 1995, Louis N Proyect wrote:

> Louis:
>
> For those who are knowledgeable about Gramsci, including Bryan, my
> question is this: what is specifically Gramscian about his writings on
> fascism prior to his imprisonment?
>
> I see no evidence in Bryan's report of the concept of hegemony or even
> any foreshadowing of it. Class domination, according to the Prison
> Notebooks of Gramsci, is based not just upon physical force but on the
> cultural and ideological acquiescence of the working class and the
> peasantry.
>
> Is it possible that, as I believe Tom Condit alleged, that much of
> Gramsci's later writings are coded commentaries on matters other than
> what appears obvious? At any rate, I will be attending a Brecht Forum
> talk on "Popular Culture in the United States--A Gramscian
> Perspective" by Joseph Buttigieg, a prominent Gramsci scholar, and
> will raise this question with him. I will also see if has any notions
> about how the MMM and the militias fit into a Gramscian context.

How does this tie in with what I've said so far?


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