How did Gramsci analyze the role of intellectuals?
I distinguished between 'traditional' intellectuals, who see themselves as independent, and 'organic' intellectuals, who emerge from and serve the interests of a particular social class. Both are essential. Traditional intellectuals can contribute to maintaining the status quo. Organic intellectuals, however, are vital for articulating a class's worldview, developing its consciousness, and ultimately challenging the dominant hegemony by forging a new intellectual and moral order.
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