Antonio Gramsci: Towards an Intellectual Biography

Historical Materialism #129

by Alastair Davidson

Few revolutionaries have a heritage so contested by rival groups as Antonio Gramsci. Many use his writings as ‘sacred texts’ for their own policies, and while others stress any differences with Lenin in order to prove Gramsci a ‘rebel.’ In this stirring biography, Davidson cuts through these sterile debates and instead focuses on Gramsci’s own political and philosophical ideas.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, History, Philosophy, Italy

344 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1977

Reviews

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good, especially on differentiating the views of Gramsci and Bordiga even when in tactical agreement, as well as clarifying Gramsci's differences with the Comintern and his rejection of Trotsky.

[Rjurik Davidson]

A new edition of this is going to be released as part of the Historical Materialism book series, I believe. It's certainly well done, with a focus not only on Gramsci's life but on his intellectual formation and development. Once certainly gets a sense of what makes his particular 'theory of praxis', including it's Crocean origins and Gramsci's later transcendance of these themes.