Marxism’s False Consciousness

What is False Consciousness? Quite simply, it is the internalization of oppression by the proletariat and oppressed classes, which leads them to believe that the capitalist system works in their favor. In short, the False Consciousness is a defining characteristic of all those who live within the capitalist system. But what exactly is False Consciousness?

Gramsci’s theory of civil society

The first step in analyzing Gramsci’s theory of civil societies and Marxism’s false consciousness is a recognition that the distinction between state and civil society is both methodological and not organic. This distinction is not meant to limit the analysis of political societies, but to facilitate it. In other words, it is a means to a better analysis of concrete reality.

The concept of ideology in Gramsci’s theory of civil societies is much more sophisticated than those of his predecessors, and it aims to overcome both class reductionism and epiphenomenalism. In class reductionism, ideology was understood to be the mechanical expression of economic life, while in Gramsci’s model, ideology is a product of social agency.

Gramsci’s concept of hegemony

Using Gramsci’s concept of ‘hegemony,’ one can argue that capitalism has become a hegemonic power. The hegemonic system requires a ‘leadership role’ from the proletariat to the rest of the social classes, and this leadership role must be dedicated to waging struggle against the hegemonic system. This struggle must take place at three levels: economic, political, and cultural. In a sense, the economic battle precedes the political phase.

The class struggle for power, according to Marx and Gramsci, is based on a clash of ideologies. Marxists have argued that ideological struggles are inseparably linked with state power and class hegemony. But, this interpretation fails to account for the fact that the two ideologies fought for the same hegemony in different ways.

Gramsci’s theory of consensual democratic public exchange

In order to understand the connection between the conception of class and the concept of consent, we must first understand what constitutes class. Class is not just an accumulation of resources and capital. It also involves a variety of social conditions that are linked to social stratification, such as the level of education, the quality of life, and the state of the economy. As such, we should consider how class affects the functioning of society.

The concept of hegemony was already well-established by the time of Gramsci, who had received it from the Italian and Russian socialist movements. These debates became archival after the October Revolution, and Gramsci probably would not have known about them. Yet, he was intimately familiar with the resolutions of the Comintern and was a participant in the Fourth World Congress.

Marxism’s superstructure

In his Communist Manifesto, Marx proposes a class consciousness, where the proletariat becomes a class of its own, advocating for improvements in society. For society to move toward a state of social revolution, the proletariat must develop political consciousness. Those who wish to do so must rewrite the laws of nature. The Communist Manifesto is one of the most influential pieces of writing in modern history.

As a result of the unequal nature of society, the ruling classes have maintained a false consciousness. They have manipulated social institutions to project their ideas as common sense, leading the proletariat to accept unequal relationships as normal and unavoidable. This ideological control has produced a false consciousness that deludes the masses into believing that everything is fine and that appalling conditions are inevitable. This false consciousness is known as False Consciousness.