Turin Antonio Gramsci

university of turin: rectorate

in 1911, gramsci won scholarship study @ university of turin, sitting exam @ same time palmiro togliatti. @ turin, read literature , took keen interest in linguistics, studied under matteo bartoli. gramsci in turin going through industrialization, fiat , lancia factories recruiting workers poorer regions. trade unions became established, , first industrial social conflicts started emerge. gramsci frequented socialist circles associating sardinian emigrants on italian mainland. worldview shaped both earlier experiences in sardinia , environment on mainland. gramsci joined italian socialist party in late 1913, later occupy key position , observe turin russian revolutionary process.

although showing talent studies, gramsci had financial problems , poor health. growing political commitment, these led abandoning education in 1915. time, had acquired extensive knowledge of history , philosophy. @ university, had come contact thought of antonio labriola, rodolfo mondolfo, giovanni gentile, , importantly, benedetto croce, possibly respected italian intellectual of day. labriola propounded brand of hegelian marxism labelled philosophy of praxis . although gramsci later used phrase escape prison censors, relationship current of thought ambiguous throughout life.

from 1914 onward, gramsci s writings socialist newspapers such il grido del popolo earned him reputation notable journalist. in 1916, became co-editor of piedmont edition of avanti!, socialist party official organ. articulate , prolific writer of political theory, gramsci proved formidable commentator, writing on aspects of turin s social , political life.

gramsci was, @ time, involved in education , organisation of turin workers; spoke in public first time in 1916 , gave talks on topics such romain rolland, french revolution, paris commune, , emancipation of women. in wake of arrest of socialist party leaders followed revolutionary riots of august 1917, gramsci became 1 of turin s leading socialists when both elected party s provisional committee , made editor of il grido del popolo.

in april 1919, togliatti, angelo tasca , umberto terracini, gramsci set weekly newspaper l ordine nuovo (the new order). in october same year, despite being divided various hostile factions, socialist party moved large majority join third international. l ordine nuovo group seen vladimir lenin closest in orientation bolsheviks, , received backing against anti-parliamentary programme of left communist amadeo bordiga.

among tactical debates within party, gramsci s group distinguished advocacy of workers councils, had come existence in turin spontaneously during large strikes of 1919 , 1920. gramsci, these councils proper means of enabling workers take control of task of organising production. although believed position @ time in keeping lenin s policy of power soviets , stance these italian councils communist, rather 1 organ of political struggle against bourgeoisie, attacked bordiga betraying syndicalist tendency influenced thought of georges sorel , daniel deleon. time of defeat of turin workers in spring 1920, gramsci alone in defence of councils.