The foundation of Gramsci’s ideas about cultural hegemony are grounded in the French Revolution. Before the Revolution no one could have predicted it. No one believed it was actually possible. According to Gramsci it happened because the Enlightenment created a vision of a better world. The French people stormed the Bastille because the National Convention made the impossible seem possible. Before the National Convention a French Republic was impossible. After the National Convention made the impossible possible, the French Republic became historically predetermined. The King did not realize it yet, but his resistance to the French Republic triggered the storming of the Bastille because the genie was out of the bottle. It was too late. The dream of the Enlightenment was now within reach. The king could not stop it.

Show Notes
“14 July”
July 15, 1916
Avanti!
Selections from Political Writings, 1910-1920

- [ ] Background
- [ ] 1789
- [ ] 1790
- [ ] 1791-1792
- [ ] 1793
- [ ] 1794
- [ ] Gramsci’s Article
- [ ] Postscript

Storming of the Bastille
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Storming_of_the_Bastille

the French Revolution
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Revolution

The Dig podcast on Occupy Wall Street with Astra Taylor
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-dig/id1043245989?i=1000536617311

Black Lives Matter George Floyd Protests: 15-26 million
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Floyd_protests