Hill's book offers both a trenchant critique of post-Marxism and a persuasive re-reading of Gramsci's democratic approach, with particular focus on his pre-prison writings. She shows with clarity and insight how Gramsci relates his analyses of culture, everyday life and history to his economic analysis of capitalism in a manner that leads to his particular political perspective, his critique of representation and his organizational concerns. By doing this, Hill has made Gramsci more valuable for contemporary politics. -- Peter Ives, University of Winnipeg
Accepting the challenge posed by the gabs in much of 'traditional' Marxism, Deb J. Hill engages with the principal exponents of post-Marxism, mounting a sustained critique of decentred, detotalized structures and subjects from a Gramscian Marxist position. She puts Gramsci's central conception of hegemony to fruitful use, going against post-modernist interpretations by reinstating the essential class-based core of the notion. Particularly praiseworthy is the intelligent use she makes of Gramsci's pre-prison journalism. She skillfully draws on Gramsci's journalistic production to highlight his argument on education as providing an essential base, not only for questions of authentic citizenship, then as now a burning question, but also for 'counter-capitalist struggle' and movements. This book will provide a forum of debate from Gramscians and non-Gramscians, Marxists and non-Marxists alike.. -- Derek Boothman, University of Bologna's Faculty for Interpreters and Translators
This study provides readers with a compelling and sharp critique of the principal positions of post-Marxism....Recommended. * CHOICE *
Deb Hill's new book is a welcome addition to the burgeoning literature on the uses and abuses of Gramsci. Her philological approach to both his early works and the Prison Notebooks leads into a trenchant and convincing critique of the voguish post-marxism that claims to take off from Gramsci. Hill exposes the uses of Gramsci-who today has surpassed even Machiavelli to be the most translated Italian theorist-by such luminaries as Laclau, Mouffe, and Mercer as either ill-founded and pretentious or, where she thinks they have a point, as merely restating what is better explained by Gramsci himself. She ripostes with an impassioned defense of Gramsci's own views and of the marxism behind them, to which he always remained loyal. -- Alastair Davidson, Latrobe University, Melbourne
Accepting the challenge posed by the gabs in much of 'traditional' Marxism, Deb J. Hill engages with the principal exponents of post-Marxism, mounting a sustained critique of decentred, detotalized structures and subjects from a Gramscian Marxist position. She puts Gramsci's central conception of hegemony to fruitful use, going against post-modernist interpretations by reinstating the essential class-based core of the notion. Particularly praiseworthy is the intelligent use she makes of Gramsci's pre-prison journalism. She skillfully draws on Gramsci's journalistic production to highlight his argument on education as providing an essential base, not only for questions of authentic citizenship, then as now a burning question, but also for 'counter-capitalist struggle' and movements. This book will provide a forum of debate from Gramscians and non-Gramscians, Marxists and non-Marxists alike. -- Derek Boothman, University of Bologna's Faculty for Interpreters and Translators
