Gramsci on Tahrir: Revolution and Counter-Revolution in Egypt: Reading Gramsci

Gramsci on Tahrir presents a close analysis of the complex dynamics of Egypt’s revolution and counter-revolution, showing how a Gramscian understanding of the revolutionary process can provide a powerful instrument for charting the possibilities for a truly emancipatory project in Egypt. Through Brecht de Smet’s application of Gramsci’s take on Caesarism, we can see how the current situation in Egypt demonstrates the ways that national histories and global power relations enable, define, and displace popular resistance and social transformation. A major contribution to the literature on Egypt and the Arab Spring, Gramsci on Tahrir carries important implications for radical political theory.