Antonio Negri

Born in Padua, Italy, in 1933, Antonio Negri was a political philosopher, activist, and teacher whose work ranged across Marxism, political theory, and social movements. He taught political science at the University of Padua and became associated with the Italian workerist tradition, which focused closely on labor, class struggle, and the changing shape of capitalism.

Negri’s life and work were deeply entangled with the turmoil of postwar Italian politics. He was accused in connection with political violence during the years of unrest known as the "Years of Lead," and his long legal and political ordeal became part of the public story around him. Alongside these controversies, he continued to write extensively, and his books reached a wide international audience.

Many readers know him best through his collaborations with Michael Hardt, especially Empire, followed by Multitude and Commonwealth. In those works, he explored how power operates in a globalized world and how collective action might answer it. He died in 2023, leaving behind a body of work that remained provocative, influential, and widely debated.