The educational relevance of Antonio Gramsci's political writings

Abstract

Antonio Gramsci has become a popular figure with political and educational theorists who have studied several aspects of his broad schema. Unfortunately the secondary literature has become overwhelming and the need to return to the Sardinian's own words was deeply felt. The key idea in Gramsci's major works is the concept of hegemony. The process through which a social class agrees to be led or, in extreme cases, dominated by another social class is a phenomenon which is amply analysed by the Sardinian. It is not simply a repressive military activity but consists also of a more subtle exercise. Exploring the most essential philosophical assumptions of hegemony, this work has tried to elucidate the precise character of this concept and set out its implications for other vital aspects of Gramsci's philosophy. Other important views are stressed. Gramsci's political and educational thinking are closely connected. The Western working class has a revolutionary mission to accomplish: the political rise of this class to power. Besides the appropriate strategies of the Marxist party, it is essentially an educational task. The working class has to become aware of its predicament and be ready to realise its potential to become the leading class. The pedagogical relations existing within society and not only in the system of formal education, have to be directed towards what is pre-eminently a political end. The vital function of the intellectuals is stressed all along. They are the principal agents of hegemony. However the traditional idea of a thinker has become outdated. All those involved in propagating a conception of the world and hold leading roles in society are intellectuals. For the rise of the working class, organic intellectuals originating from this same class would have to be elaborated. The Common School, Gramsci's proposed system of education, would be one way of solving the inherent problems in existing mass educational systems by safeguarding the rights of every working class child to an education on a par with the children of other social classes. The apparent dichotomy between a scientifically-based philosophy of the Common School and the popular philosophy based on common sense would have to be cleared. Eventually the elimination of the traditional culture, superseded by a modern one based on the industrial structure of society, would have to be realised. The working class, having on essential role in the economic sphere, would enjoy the intellectual and moral hegemony over the rest of society.