Antonio Gramsci

Known for

Cultural hegemony, Prison Notebooks

Thought

Gramsci argued that ruling classes maintain their dominance not primarily through force or economic control but through "cultural hegemony" — shaping the common sense, values and institutions (schools, media, religion) that make their rule seem natural and unquestionable. He concluded any successful revolution must first win this battle of ideas and culture, not just seize the state.

Biography

Italian Marxist intellectual and a founder of the Communist Party of Italy, who wrote most of his influential work while imprisoned by Mussolini's Fascist regime.

Major works

• Prison Notebooks