Hegemonic rule universalizes one class’s interests as society-wide goals

Evidence

A state of hegemony enables the ruling class alliance to undertake the enormous task of modifying, harnessing, securing, and elaborating the “superstructure” of society in line with the long-term requirements of the development of the mode of production—e.g., capital accumulation on an expanded scale. It enables such a class alliance to undertake the educative and formative tasks of raising the whole social formation to what he calls a “new level of civilization,” favoring the expanded regime of capital. This is no immediate and direct imposition of the narrow, short-term, “corporate” class interests of a single class on society. It forges that unity between economic, political, and ideological objectives such that it can place “all the questions around which the struggle rages on a ‘universal’ not a corporative level, thereby creating a hegemony of a fundamental social group over a series of subordinate groups.” — Hall, Stuart, Essential Essays, Volume 1, 626

Categorization

• DEFINE: Explains how hegemony lifts class interests to a ‘universal’ plane of civilization.