Quotes By Antonio Gramsci

Antonio Gramsci’s quotes have a very special charm. Almost all of them have a bit of politics, a bit of philosophy and a bit of poetry. His writings fully represent who he was: a versatile, thorough and passionate intellectual.

Much of Antonio Gramsci’s works were written in prison. He was detained due to political persecutions carried out by fascism and by Benito Mussolini. When he was convicted, the prosecutor said: “For twenty years we have to stop this brain from working!”

Gramsci, physically deformed due to a hump and socially excluded because of his poverty, was one of the most important Italian intellectuals of the twentieth century. He was a convinced Communist, but his thinking was universal. Discover with us some of the most beautiful quotes by Antonio Gramsci.

7 memorable quotes from Antonio Gramsci

1. The error of the intellectual

One of Gramsci’s great interests was the role of intellectuals in society. In this regard, one of his quotes reads: “The error of the intellectual consists in believing that one can know without understanding and, especially, without feeling and being passionate”.

Gramsci was against anyone who wanted to become an intellectual by image or mere pedantry. He firmly believed that intellectuals should put themselves at the service of those who had less access to the “world of ideas”. And this only happened when there was a real passion for understanding problems and for action.

2. Between the old and the new world

An enigmatic and prophetic quote at the same time. Gramsci writes: “The old world is dying, the new one is slow to appear. And monsters are born in this chiaroscuro ”.

Throughout history, periods of transition often bring chaos and uncertainty. The old coexists with the new, without either reality being able to impose itself on the other. Under these conditions, “monsters” are born.

3. A false originality

Gramsci was a revolutionary with a capital “R”. It is no coincidence that he died in prison amidst humiliation and suffering while keeping his convictions firm. In one of his sentences he expresses his thoughts on false rebellion and false originality.

“It’s too easy to be original by doing the opposite of what everyone else is doing; it’s a mechanical thing “. Opposing everything does not mean being protesters and doing the opposite of what is usually done, it does not make us singular people.

4. Quotes by Antonio Gramsci on cultural hegemony

This is one of Antonio Gramsci’s quotes that summarizes his thought well. He writes that: “The conquest of cultural hegemony precedes that of political power and this takes place through the concerted action of organic intellectuals infiltrated in all means of communication, expression and universities”.

Unlike other Marxist intellectuals of the time, Gramsci gave great importance to culture, rather than to economics and politics. His contributions served to create a democratic communism which was later called Eurocommunism.

5. The dead weight of history according to Antonio Gramsci

When we speak of “dead weight”, we are referring to something present only to make the load heavier. It moves as an additional weight from place to place without any use.

In relation to what we have just said, Gramsci writes: “Indifference is the dead weight of history”. It means that one goes on carrying with it the lack of commitment and conscience that hides behind the action, or inaction, of the indifferent.

6. Complaining of enemies

In this sentence, Antonio Gramsci shows his common sense and also a touch of malice. He writes that: “If an enemy hurts you and makes you suffer, you are an idiot, because it belongs to the enemy to do harm”.

This phrase seems to be written for those affected by today’s social network trolls or bullies. It is obvious that what one should expect from an “adversary” is little empathy and low consideration.

7. The essence of any war

This marvelous sentence by Gramsci summarizes a very profound analysis: “Every war has also been a war of religion, always”. This statement contains a great truth that was and continues to be valid and universal.

In this case, religion is not referred to as a specific belief, but rather as an attitude. Religious thought is based on dogmas and dogmas make dialogue impossible. War occurs when dialogue is now impossible.

Antonio Gramsci was only 46 when he died of mistreatment and a tuberculosis that had afflicted him for several months. But before that, he had already written his Notebooks from prison , a wonderful work, philosophical and literary, which is always worth reading and rereading.