Antonio Gramsci

Lore & Background

Gramsci was born in Ales, Sardinia, the fourth of seven sons. His father's family was of Arbëreshë (Italo-Albanian) descent, and Gramsci believed they had left Albania as recently as 1821. His father was convicted of embezzlement in 1898, reducing the family to destitution, and young Gramsci had to abandon schooling and work casual jobs until his father's release in 1904. As a boy, he suffered from a spinal malformation that stunted his growth and left him seriously hunchbacked; for decades it was reported as due to a childhood accident, though in 2011 it was suggested it was Pott disease. He later won a scholarship to study at the University of Turin in 1911, where he read literature and studied linguistics under Matteo Bartoli. He joined the Italian Socialist Party in late 1913 but abandoned his education in early 1915 due to financial problems, poor health, and political commitment.

Reader's Guide

Gramsci's significance lies primarily in his theory of cultural hegemony, which explains how the bourgeoisie maintains power through ideology rather than violence or economic force. He attempted to break from the economic determinism of orthodox Marxist thought, earning him the label of neo-Marxist. He held a humanistic understanding of Marxism, seeing it as a philosophy of praxis and an absolute historicism that transcends traditional materialism and idealism. His Prison Notebooks are a highly original contribution to 20th-century political theory, influencing fields from political science to cultural studies. Gramsci's work remains central to discussions of power, ideology, and the role of intellectuals in society. His legacy endures as a key figure in Western Marxism, and his concepts are widely applied in analyses of culture, politics, and social movements.

Did You Know?

• Gramsci's father's family was of Arbëreshë (Italo-Albanian) descent, and Gramsci believed they had left Albania as recently as 1821.
• As a boy, Gramsci suffered from a spinal malformation that stunted his growth; his adult height was less than 5 feet, and he was seriously hunchbacked.
• During his imprisonment, Gramsci wrote more than 30 notebooks and 3,000 pages of history and analysis.
• Gramsci drew insights from thinkers including Niccolò Machiavelli, Antonio Labriola, and Benedetto Croce.