Antonio Gramsci, the Italian philosopher imprisoned by the Fascists in the late 1920's believed the key to submission could be found in the "spontaneous consent" of the masses. Who are the Masses one might ask? The Intellectual- used by the dominant group as a medium to render support of the dominant class (Gramsci, 1971). For Gramsci, Hegemony was not a top-down state of power; state authorities did not barge into homes forcing individuals to submit to their power, (not in all cases). Instead by consent and coercion. Gramsci's theory of spontaneous consent raises a puzzling question: Why do we consent, knowing the outcome offers little to no benefits to us?
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