On Gramsci’s Theory Of Cultural Hegemony And Its Contemporary Enlightenment

Gramsci is one of the early representatives of western Marxism, he hasa deep western culture background and a solid theoretical foundation ofphilosophy, combined with his own revolutionary experience of the revolution,and he analyzes the realistic situation and summarizes the lessons of theproletarian revolution. On the basis of this, Gramsci forms the famous theoryof cultural hegemony, and makes relatively systematic exposition in hiswriting of prison notebooks, tries to find the proletarian revolutionary path forsocial and historical conditions of the western developed country. Gramsci’stheory of cultural hegemony points out that the establishment of theproletariat regime not only needs relying on the political mandatory, but alsoneeds for the cultural and ideological hegemony functions in the ideology. Itprovides the legitimacy and legality in the ideological field for the state power.And also provides a new strategy for the proletariat revolution, changing theviolent revolution of the single form of struggle. The general path of revolutionshould start from places as struggle of civil society; exert fully of the role oforganic intellectuals and political party to win the hegemony by the positionalwarfare, so as to realize the establishment, consolidation and development ofnational power.The theory of cultural hegemony is an important part of Gramsci’s ideas.This paper is divided into three parts, based on the prison notebooks to studythe thought. The first part of paper studies on the formation of Gramsci’stheory of cultural hegemony’s background, theoretical origin and realisticfoundation, it points out that Gramsci is experienced in the combination ofinternational, domestic specific background and realistic historical situation, with the social practice and the basis of criticizing and inheriting Marxism andthe Italy’s traditional theory, he forms the theory of cultural hegemony. Thesecond part explains the basic content of the theory of cultural hegemonywhich derives from the interconnections among the civil society, organicintellectuals, ideological and cultural hegemony. Civil society is the startingpoint of the theory of cultural hegemony, but also is the practical field ofhegemony. Based on a new understanding of the state and civil society,Gramsci points out that the primary task of western socialist revolution victoryis to seize the bourgeois hegemony and the organic intellectuals are the realbody strength to achieve the hegemony in this process. The hegemony findsa deep legitimacy on supporting for the proletariat regime in the ideologicalfield. The third part analyzes Gramsci’s theory of cultural hegemony and itscontemporary enlightenment. Gramsci’s theory of cultural hegemony is theinheritance and innovation of theory of Marxism, and it starts from thestructure of civil society, summarizes the experience of the western socialistrevolution, develops a unique strategy for the western proletariat revolutionary,and makes civil society and ideology hegemony as the center of the westernrevolutions. With the increasing trend of internationalization and globalizationcontemporarily, we are faced with opportunities as well as the challengesamong different nationalities, countries, areas of competition and conflict isintensifying. The collision of multiculture makes the ideological field becomesperplexing. Gramsci’s theory of cultural hegemony brings many inspirationsfor the construction of political and culture.