Antonio Negri

Lore & Background

His father, an active communist militant, died when Negri was two, but his political engagement exposed Negri to Marxism early. Negri studied philosophy and became a professor at the University of Padua, teaching state and constitutional theory.

He later co-authored Empire and Multitude: War and Democracy in the Age of Empire with Michael Hardt. The question of his involvement with left-wing extremism remains controversial. Many of his most influential books were published while he was imprisoned.

Reader's Guide

Antonio Negri's significance lies in his development of autonomist Marxism and his co-authorship of Empire, which theorized a shift from nation-state imperialism to a global 'Empire' of ruling powers. His work, including Labor of Dionysus and Insurgencies, critiqued the state-form and explored constituent power and radical democracy. His imprisonment and flight to France sparked debate among intellectuals like Foucault, who questioned whether he was jailed simply for being an intellectual. Negri's writings, produced both before and during his incarceration, continue to influence leftist political theory, while his personal history remains a subject of dispute.