Gramsci and Labriola: teoria da história e filosofia política

Abstract

What is in question, in this text, is once again to see the incidence of idealism, of subjectivism on Gramsci’s thought, by the comparison with Labriola, the first theorist of Italian Marxism, with whom the Sardinian politician is usually assimilated in
an unembarrassed way. Young Gramsci’s work shows a considerable influence of Italian neo-idealism by which he gives up any objectivist theory of history to point out the voluntarist and conscientialist aspects of historical and revolutionary action; the critic of positivism and naturalism turns in Gramsci into a refusal of historical objectivism tout court. This influence is strengthened with the knowledge of Lenin’s thought, and persists in Quaderni del carcere reflections. Yet, it is in virtue of this idealist base that Gramsci’s political thought can achieve all its originality in the theory of hegemony and of the conquest of civil society.