Gramsci and Contemporary Politics: Beyond Pessimism of the Intellect

177 Pages·2002·2.771 MB·English

by  Sassoon, Anne Showstack

GRAMSCI AND
CONTEMPORARY POLITICS
Beyond pessimism of the intellect
Can politics be both radical and realistic? This book is a collection of Anne
Showstack Sassoon’s writing which spans the major transitions from Thatcher
and Reagan to Clinton and Blair; the collapse of communism to the regenera-
tion of social democracy. Looking at the role of intellectuals in ‘rethinking’ poli-
tics, she argues that drawing from the past and broadening contemporary
sources of political and academic knowledge can contribute to a grounded, radi-
cal hegemonic politics which can shape change.
Applying original interpretations of Antonio Gramsci’s ideas on intellectuals,
political language, civil society and political leadership, Anne Showstack Sas-
soon goes well beyond his framework to examine key contemporary political
issues including citizenship, modernising the welfare state, and the relationship
between parents and teachers. Informed by feminist debates, and reflecting on
women’s changing socio-economic roles, she argues that, particularly in periods
of rapid change, the inconsistencies and contradictions of social change can pro-
duce valuable theoretical, and practical, insights.
Engaging with the radical claims of centre-left politics, this book brings
together theoretical discussion with empirical and personal examples to suggest
how to negotiate the difficult line between wishful thinking and weary fatalism
in order to create the basis for widespread consent for political and social
reforms. Gramsci and Contemporary Politics: Beyond Pessimism of the Intel-
lect is aimed at students of politics, political and social theory, gender studies,
and sociology.
Anne Showstack Sassoon’s publications include Gramsci’s Politics, and
Women and the State: The Shifting Boundaries of Public and Private. She is
Professor of Politics at Kingston University, UK.
ROUTLEDGE INNOVATIONS IN
POLITICAL THEORY
1 A RADICAL GREEN POLITICAL THEORY
Alan Carter
2 RATIONAL WOMAN
A feminist critique of dualism
Raia Prokhovnik
3 RETHINKING STATE THEORY
Mark J.Smith
4 GRAMSCI AND CONTEMPORARY POLITICS
Beyond pessimism of the intellect
Anne Showstack Sassoon
GRAMSCI AND
CONTEMPORARY
POLITICS
Beyond pessimism of the intellect
Anne Showstack Sassoon
London and New York
First published 2000
by Routledge
11 New Fetter Lane, London EC4P 4EE
Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada
by Routledge
29 West 35th Street, New York, NY 10001
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group
This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2004.
© 2000 Anne Showstack Sassoon
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or
utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now
known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in
any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing
from the publishers
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Sassoon, Anne Showstack
Gramsci and contemporary politics: beyond pessimism of the
intellect/Anne Showstack Sassoon.
p. cm.—(Routledge innovations in political theory: 4)
Includes bibliographical references (p. ) and index.
1. Gramsci, Antonio, 1891–1937—Contributions in political
science. 2. Political science—History—20th century. I. Title.
II. Series.
JC265.G68S26 1999
320.53'2'092 –dc21 99–37055
CIP
ISBN 0-203-20888-9 Master e-book ISBN
ISBN 0-203-20900-1 (Adobe eReader Format)
ISBN 0-415-16214-9 (Print Edition)
FOR MY FATHER,
NATHANIEL SHOWSTACK MD,
FOR HIS SENSE OF WONDER.
To see a World in a Grain of Sand,
And a Heaven in a Wild Flower,
Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand,
And Eternity in an hour.
From: ‘Auguries of Innocence’
William Blake (1757–1827)
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CONTENTS
1 F acing the future, evaluating the past 1
PART 1 Theoretical foundations 1 3
2 T he challenge to traditional intellectuals: specialisation, organisation,
leadership 15
3 T he politics of the organic intellectuals: passion, understanding,
knowledge 27
4 G ramsci’s subversion of the language of politics 4 2
PART 2 Political interventions 5 1
5 E quality and difference: the emergence of a new concept of citizenship 5 3
6 B ack to the future: the resurrection of civil society 6 6
7 B eyond pessimism of the intellect: agendas for social justice and change 7 7
8 F rom realism to creativity: Gramsci, Blair and us 9 3
PART 3 Reflections and explorations 10 5
9 R ethinking socialism: new processes, new insights 10 7
10 D ear parent… 11 8
11 S ubjective authenticity, cultural specificity, individual and collective
projects 124
N otes 13 6
I ndex 16 4
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FACING THE FUTURE,
EVALUATING THE PAST
A collection of essays provides the occasion to revisit an intellectual and per-
sonal itinerary. Changes in political, social and economic contexts, and implic-
itly or explicitly the author’s own growth and development, all come into play.
These pieces were written during major transitions spanning the Thatcher and
Reagan governments, the collapse of communist regimes in Central and Eastern
Europe, attempts to regenerate social democracy, and the election of centre-left
governments throughout Western Europe and in North America. They reflect
my continuing interest in the work of the Italian Marxist Antonio Gramsci
(1891–1937), in women’s changing socio-economic roles, and in projects to
refashion left politics to take account of major socio-economic change, and are
accompanied by a desire to demystify academic practices. Theoretical discus-
sion is joined to political and personal reflection. The majority of the essays
have been substantially revised for this book. All are explorations of themes of
continuing contemporary relevance. They do not pretend to be definitive. They
are often tentative and suggestive. The intention is to open up discussion rather
than close it down.
THEMES AND CONJECTURES
As political and intellectual signposts change so dramatically, a rush to judg-
ment is to be resisted. The dynamic of the tennis match of many academic and
political debates, which simply bounce arguments back and forth, can detract
from the need to confront significant questions. Above all, polarised positions
often mean that the inconsistent and contradictory nature of social development
is either considered a problem to be eliminated or becomes a rationale for
abstaining from engagement. It is striking how rare it is to find work which
draws out what could be useful from what appear to be otherwise contradictory
positions, or, indeed, which makes an analysis that searches for the contradic-
tions and inconsistencies in social development in order to learn from them. The
definition of being analytical and critical is too often reduced to describing the
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