Western critical theory, Marxism included, has largely been based on a view of historical materialism that Gramsci, among others, developed in his prison notebooks. For many, Gramsci’s philosophical reflections in prison offered a new foundation for the philosophy of the future. His reflections on the philosophy of praxis and absolute historicism find echoes in much of what today is considered to be a materialist philosophy. That form of materialism was unable to provide a sound foundation for a progressive social project, the possibility of a meaningful and creative ethical life, and the forms of activity or praxis that would be conducive to creating good society. In this book, Esteve Morera connects Marxist philosophy to the broader philosophical discussion of materialism in metaphysics, the philosophy science, philosophy of mind, and naturalised ethics. Each chapter deals with a particular aspect related to materialism and its consequences, the sorts of things that, if materialism is true, need to be confronted. Morera critiques, and rejects Gramsci’s conception of matter and materialism and concludes that that philosophical materialism is compatible with freedom, and as a consequence, offers a good foundation for ethical life. Gramsci, Materialism, and Philosophy is an original contribution to the philosophically vital debates around the meaning, limitations, implications, and possibilities of philosophical materialism as it is a contribution to the critical literature on Gramsci.

Drawing on the rich recent season of Gramscian philological studies, this book offers a reconsideration of Gramsci's theory of the state and concept of philosophy, arguing that a renewal of the 'philosophy of praxis' constitutes a necessary element in the contemporary revitalisation of Marxism.

A milestone in the contemporary Brazilian reception of Gramsci, focusing on the unity of politics, philosophy and history in Gramsci’s Quaderni del carcere.

In A Philosophy for Communism: Rethinking Althusser Panagiotis Sotiris reconstructs Althusser’s quest for a new practice of philosophy that would enable a new practice of politics for communism, through a reading of the tensions and dynamics running through his work.

A critical reappraisal of Gramsci as a thinker and of the dialectical approach as a mode of inquiry.

Gramsci's works, in particular his Prison Notebooks, are a real 'workshop' of activity. Even though these texts were the product of a great mind and an organic conception of the world, the particular context in which they are written poses challenges for their interpreters. This philological 'excavation' of the pathways of Gramsci's thinking brings us closer to an author who is more 'widely-known' than he is understood. The first part of the volume deals with central themes of Gramsci's worldview such as the concepts of the state, civil society, ideology, common sense, morality and conformism. The second part deals with Gramsci’s relations with thinkers as diverse as Machiavelli, Marx, Engels, Labriola, Togliatti, whereas the third part offers some reflections on the metaphors used by Gramsci as well as contemporary views of the Sardinian Communist. First published in Italian by Carocci Editore as Sentieri gramsciani, 2006.

This book will offer a full reconstruction of the history of Theoretical Marxism in Italy between 1895 and 1935, based on a rigorous philological method. The starting term (1895) is marked by the publication of Antonio Labriola's first essay on historical materialism (In memory of Communist Manifesto); the final term coincides with the conclusion of the "Prison Notebooks" written by Antonio Gramsci. This book analyses the original character of the Marxist philosophy in Italy, which emerged by distinguishing itself from the "orthodoxy" of the Second and Third International. By delineating a significant chapter in the history of Marxism, the book will also propose a specific contribution to the history of Italian Philosophy, which is here studied in relation to the developments of European philosophy, beyond the traditional subdivisions of Positivism, Idealism and Marxism.