Selections from the Prison Notebooks excerpts
11 Jan 2023Read Michael Denning’s New Left Review article on Antonio Gramsci here
Begin with Gramsci’s account of the two halves of his own project, a modern Prince, that is, a rewriting of Machiavelli’s The Prince (9 pages)
“Brief Notes on Machiavelli’s Politics” SPN 125-133 (9p from Q13.1)
Then read the notes that outline Gramsci’s overall theoretical and philosophical position, his sense of “conceptions of the world”, (63 pages)
“Some Preliminary Points of Reference” SPN 323-343 (20p from Q11.12)
“[Critical Analysis of Common Sense]” untitled opening note to “Critical Notes on an Attempt at Popular Sociology” SPN 419-425 (6p from Q11.13)
“Some Problems in the Study of the Philosophy of Praxis SPN 381-388 (7p)
“The Philosophy of Praxis and Modern Culture” SPN 388-399 (11p from Q16.9)
“The Formation of Intellectuals” SPN 5-14 (9p from Q12.1)
“In Search of the Educational Principle” SPN 33-43 (10p from Q12.2)
Then read the way Gramsci’s understanding of the society and historical change is developed into a critical theory of politics, parties and the state, his sense of “norms of conduct,” and his understanding of the “formation of a national-popular collective will”: (84 pages)
“Who is a Legislator?” SPN 265-266 (2 p from Q14.13)
“Elements of Politics” SPN 144-147 (4p from Q15.4)
“Analysis of Situations. Relations of Force” SPN 175-185 (11p from Q13.17)
“Some Theoretical and Practical Aspects of Economism” SPN 158-168 (10p from Q13.18)
“History of the Subaltern Classes: Methodological Criteria” SPN 52-55 (3p from Q25.5 & Q25.2)
“Economy and Ideology” SPN 407-409 (2p from Q7.24)
“Structure and Superstructure” SPN 365-366 (2p from Q10,II.12 and Q8.182)
“Observations on Certain Aspects of the Structure of Political Parties in Periods of Organic Crisis” SPN 210-211 (2p from Q13.23)
“Wave of Materialism and Crisis of Authority” SPN 275-276 (1p from Q3.34)
“The Political Party” SPN 147-157 (10p from Q13.21 & Q17.37 & Q13.33 & Q14.70 & Q15.2)
“The State” SPN 257-264 (8p from Q8.179 & Q6.137 & Q6.88 & Q26.6 & Q8.185)
“Political Struggle and Military War” SPN 229-238 (10p from Q13.24 & Q7.16)
“Organization of National Societies” SPN 264-265 (2p from Q136)
“State and Parties” SPN 267-268 (2p from Q7.90)
“The Transition from the War of Manouevre to the War of Position” SPN 238-239 (2p from Q6.138)
“Rationalization of the Demographic Composition of Europe” SPN 280-287 (8p from Q22.2)
“Some Aspects of the Sexual Question” SPN 294-297 (3p from Q22.3)
“Rationalization of Production and Work” SPN 301-306 (6p from Q22.11)