Intelligentsia in a neo-Gramscian reading and global political economic practice

The article considers the dynamics of changes in the concept of intellectuals in neo-Gramscian theory, starting from the designation of the concept of “organic” intellectuals in the “Prison Notebooks” of A. Gramsci himself and ending with modern authors working within the research area of “global political economy”. As a key figure who adapted the Gramscian theory to modern realities, we consider R. Cox, from whom two lines appear to diverge - the “Coxians” proper, represented by English-speaking authors, including W. Robinson and S. Gill, whose work we examine, and the line of the Amsterdam school, represented by K. van der Pijl and B. van Apeldoorn. In accordance with the intellectual history approach, the emphasis is put on the interests pursued by these authors in defending certain theses about the subject under study. The main position of Gramscian theory that they develop is the division between “organic” and “traditional” intellectuals. Within the framework of the central theme of their research - the position of the transnational capitalist class - these authors offer various characteristics of the “organic intellectuals” distinguished within this particular class. Thus, W. Robinson characterizes it as “apparatus” in which the core of owners and managers of transnational capital is combined with “ideologists and intellectuals”. S. Gill's analysis of the work of the Trilateral Commission provides an example of this process. In turn, the distinctive feature of van der Pijl's approach is that he characterizes intellectuals serving the interests of transnational capital as “cadres” - a group, which enjoys a certain level of independence. In contrast, B. Apeldoorn considers this group - “professionals” in his terminology - to be an organic part of the transnational class. However, the common line for all Neo-Gramscian researchers is their actual opposition, reflecting the interests of global labor, to the position of neoliberal intellectuals working in the interests of capital. At the same time, the orientation of the texts analyzed in this article indicates that they are more aimed at strengthening the position of the intelligentsia itself, and mainly of the faction that is focused on strengthening the international bureaucracy in opposition to transnational capital.