The foundation of liberal society is to sell us to

- the foundation of liberal society is to sell us to the idea that we can be rich if work hard, what
keeps us participating in capitalist society
- concept of hegemony
- italy was under fascist regime, Antonio Gramsci was a communist. he spent time writing in
jail, his book is the "prison notebook”
- hegemony refers to the control of society's ideology
- how hegemony operated in capitalist society
- elite maintained their power through persuasion and coercion or force
- liberal democratic societies, the state, or way hegemony is preferred to work is through
persuasion and sell us liberal ideology. that this make the most sense
- through persuasion because they want us to consent to the ideology
- The state used persuasion to disseminate ideas, values and beliefs to the masses. argued for
constant transmission of the elite's ideas and values.
- shape our consciousness
- these ideas become common sensical, no other explanation needed
- common sense consciousness
- everyone views everything through the same lens as the elite
- meant the interest of the elite would be understood as common sense and objective.
- fiscally responsible, therefore different social services are cut, no one questions it
- They use persuasion because it's very powerful. consent willingly to participate in capitalism
- fascist dictatorships don't care about persuasion, straight to coercion
- liberalism like persuasion because it is the most powerful, and discredit ideas contrary to the
interests of the elite
- does so in a way that is not violent, why it's so powerful. we do not question status quo
- idea of free market also exists in ideas and knowledge in liberalism
- liberalism operates with free market of ideas and there is a lot of them, argument is that only
those ideas that are good ideas will be purchased and taken up by people and those who most
people think are bad will disappear because no one purchases them
- In fact in liberal capitalist societies, the idea that dominates is the one with economic and
social power.
- Those are the ones with ideological dominance with nothing to do with if they are "good or
bad" ideas.
- dominant ideologies in capitalist societies sell the idea that good for the wealthy means good
for us.
- 2 kinds of institutions in which liberal ideologies are disseminated
- 1. through mass media
- until 1440, catholic church had pure monopoly over ideas in europe
- kept them illiterate and ignorant
- until 1440, all books were copied by hand and expensive. The master craftsman needed to

copy religious text by hand. all in latin so church held monopoly on ideas because no one
knew how to read latin
- took years to produce a new handwritten book
- those who could afford to purchase the books, monarchs of europe, some of the aristocracy.
They paid private tutors to teach them the books that are in latin. some literacy skills in latin
- 1440 the first printing press, gutenberg press gets developed in germany
- printing press is first of mass dissemination of knowledge
- cheaply produce ideas to be disseminated
- first time print was given to the masses
- the first thing that gets printed is the new testament.