In this new text published in Pluto Press’ “Reading Gramsci Series”, Massimo Modonesi seeks to explore the theoretical genesis of three core concepts that make up the title of the book—namely, subalternity, antagonism and autonomy—and the problems that the usage of these pose for Marxist debates. The concepts in question, as first revealed in my review for Antipode online, are explicitly linked to the process of political subjectivation (or subject formation) in terms of the experiences of subordination, insubordination and emancipation. Each concept is also linked to a key author associated with its development. Antonio Gramsci’s writings are therefore explored in relation to subalternity; Antonio Negri’s in regards to antagonism; and those of Cornelius Castoriadis in connection with autonomy. Scholars of each respective thinker are likely to find merit in various individual chapters of the book as it traces in detail the development of their intellectual trajectories.
Posts tagged: Chris Hesketh
Deflected Passive Revolution
As reblogged from the Journal of Australian Political Economy blogspot, I noted that some time ago Tony Cliff developed a theorisation of deflected permanent revolution to consider how state power, notably in post-colonial conditions of uneven and combined development, becomes the driver for capital accumulation. One result was the deflection of permanent revolution as the means of socialist transformation from bourgeois rule. This built on Leon Trotsky’s work ‘The Permanent Revolution’ where he wrote of ‘the inner connections’ linking the theory of permanent revolution, or the revolution in permanence, to states that experience ‘belated bourgeois development’, especially colonial and semi-colonial states.
Subcomandante Marcos Dies, Galeano Lives, the Zapatistas Continue
With continued ability to surprise, Subcomandante Marcos, the enigmatic, masked spokesperson of the Ejército Zapatista de Liberación Nacional (EZLN), announced this week in a communiqué his final words. The message was that he would cease to exist and that the chief spokesperson of the EZLN henceforth is Subcomandante Insurgente Moisés. The communiqué, entitled ‘Between Light and Shade’, is the latest crucial statement on the struggle of the Zapatistas and offers a glimpse into some of the key transformations of the movement. It also raises a number of questions. Has Marcos stood down from the EZLN? What is evolving in terms of the Zapatistas’ struggle for autonomy, for dignity, for indigenous rights, and for humanity against neoliberalism?
Reading for Class
With the kick-start to the new academic term in the UK occurring, I thought it appropriate to jolt back into action on For the Desk Drawer with a series of blog posts. There are quite a few in the pipeline but for now I want to concentrate on my attendance at the 8th Rethinking Marxism international conference on ‘Surplus, Solidarity, Sufficiency’ at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst (19-22 September 2013).
I presented two papers at the conference. One was a paper on society, space and state in modern Mexico focusing on the Monument to the Revolution, on a panel including Nicola Short and Chris Hesketh, entitled ‘Gramsci and the Survival of Capitalism’. The additional paper was a roundtable contribution on David Ruccio’s outstanding book Development and Globalization, the focus of this blog post.
Gramsci & Political Economy Today
Recently, myself and Andreas Bieler were jointly awarded the 2012-13 British International Studies Association (BISA)-Higher Education Academy (HEA) Award for Excellence in Teaching. One of the innovations we have introduced on our modules has been the idea of co-hosting a roundtable event revolving around the invitation of outside guest speakers to address the core content of the curriculum across several modules. Our aim is to expose students to different viewpoints and styles of delivery as well as to socialise them into the cut and thrust of intellectual debate. As a result, we recently co-hosted a roundtable on the theme of ‘Gramsci & Political Economy Today’ that attracted undergraduate and postgraduate students taking modules on heterodox political economy as well postgraduate researchers. The invitees were Chris Hesketh (Oxford Brookes University) and Ian Bruff (Loughborough University) and the roundtable event itself was part of a “Gramsci Week”, succeeding the presentation by Peter Thomas (Brunel University) to the Centre for the Study of Social and Global Justice (CSSGJ) seminar series. What was at the heart of the presentations and the ensuing discussions?
