Politics mediates between elite philosophy and common sense

Evidence

The relation between common sense and the upper level of philosophy is assured by “politics”, just as it is politics that assures the relationship between the Catholicism of the intellectuals and that of the simple. — Antonio Gramsci, Selections from the Prison Notebooks, 1193

Categorization

• DEFINE: Establishes the pivotal link between the common-sense philosophy of the masses and official philosophy, both brokered by ‘politics’.
• XREF: Core scaffolding concept for the hegemony readings in the Islamophobia module — how intellectual leadership reaches ordinary people. — connects to: Common sense is a key route to hegemonic power in democracies; Becoming common sense is a key route to hegemonic power; High philosophy influences the masses as external coercion, not as transforming thought (+8 more)
• corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim — Antonio Gramsci, Selections from the Prison Notebooks, 1193

Broader Connections

• High philosophy influences the masses as external coercion, not as transforming thought #contradicts (0.85)
• Common sense is a key route to hegemonic power in democracies #expands (0.80)
• Culture and common sense are a contested terrain for building popular hegemony #expands (0.80)
• Common sense is a fragmentary, incoherent, socially-positioned ‘folklore of philosophy’ #corroborates (0.80)
• Becoming common sense is a key route to hegemonic power #qualifies (0.78)
• Common sense is the uncritical, unconscious worldview common to an epoch #expands (0.75) — Antonio Gramsci, Selections from the Prison Notebooks, 1165
• Common sense is ambiguous and conservative, resisting new truths #complicates (0.75)