Political movements should be analyzed via mass content and balance of forces

Evidence

One must therefore distinguish between historically organic ideologies, those, that is, which are necessary to a given structure, and ideologies that are arbitrary, rationalistic, or “willed”. To the extent that ideologies are historically necessary they have a validity which is “psychological”; they “organise” human masses, and create the terrain on which men move, acquire consciousness of their position, struggle, etc. To the extent that they are arbitrary they only create individual “movements”, polemics and so on (though even these are not completely useless, since they function like an error which by contrasting with truth, demonstrates it). — Antonio Gramsci, Selections from the Prison Notebooks, 1342 (#expands, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Organic ideologies organize masses while arbitrary ones only produce individual movements — Antonio Gramsci, Selections from the Prison Notebooks, 1342; Historico-political analysis explains order from below through confusion, violence, and strife — Michel Foucault, Society Must Be Defended, 284; The overall balance of forces imposes the form of war (+2 more)

Related

• Organic ideologies organize masses while arbitrary ones only produce individual movements (similarity 0.82)
• Representation requires organic cohesion, not merely formal delegation from masses to leaders (similarity 0.81)
• The overall balance of forces imposes the form of war (similarity 0.81)
• Established organic forces consistently absorb spontaneous mass movements (similarity 0.80)
• Immanentist philosophies fail by remaining confined to elite circles (similarity 0.79)
• Passive revolution is the political form of a war of position (similarity 0.78)
• Historico-political analysis explains order from below through confusion, violence, and strife (similarity 0.78)

Broader Connections

• The overall balance of forces imposes the form of war #expands (0.90)
• Organic ideologies organize masses while arbitrary ones only produce individual movements #expands (0.85) — Antonio Gramsci, Selections from the Prison Notebooks, 1342
• Political will works through existing forces to create a new equilibrium #expands (0.85)
• Historico-political analysis explains order from below through confusion, violence, and strife #expands (0.80) — Michel Foucault, Society Must Be Defended, 284