Antonio Gramsci’s Prison Notebooks primarily deals with:

Correct option is C

Explanation:

The correct answer is Philosophy, culture, literature and the role of intellectuals.

Antonio Gramsci’s Prison Notebooks, written between 1929 and 1935 during his imprisonment under Mussolini’s Fascist regime, are a collection of reflections and theoretical explorations that engage deeply with Marxist theory, political philosophy, cultural analysis, the role of education and intellectuals, and mechanisms of power and hegemony in society.

Gramsci used these notebooks to articulate his thoughts on how cultural institutions (like education, media, religion, and literature) are central to maintaining the dominance of the ruling class through what he termed “cultural hegemony.”

Gramsci emphasized that intellectuals are not detached from society but function as agents of ideological control or resistance, playing a pivotal role in shaping and challenging dominant beliefs. His work offers an alternative to traditional economic determinism by showing how culture and ideology contribute to social control and revolution.

Information Booster:

Prison Notebooks is a landmark work in political theory and cultural criticism. Written in fragmented form, it contains over 30 notebooks and 3000 pages of critical notes, essays, and reflections.

Antonio Gramsci (1891–1937) was an Italian Marxist philosopher, journalist, linguist, and politician. He co-founded the Italian Communist Party and is one of the most influential Marxist thinkers of the 20th century.

Key Concepts in Prison Notebooks:

Cultural Hegemony: The control exercised by the ruling class through cultural means rather than brute force.

Organic Intellectuals: Individuals emerging from a social class who represent and articulate the ideology and struggles of that class.

Civil Society vs Political Society: Gramsci distinguished between the institutions of coercion (state apparatus) and persuasion (civil society).

War of Position vs War of Manoeuvre: Gramsci suggested ideological struggle precedes any revolutionary action.

Prison Notebooks do not narrate personal pain or emotional reminiscence but delve into how ideology, education, literature, and language shape social consciousness and sustain power structures. Gramsci's work influenced cultural studies, literary criticism, postcolonial studies, and even education theory globally.