Professor of philosophy and Marxist theorist. In Italy, his work was seen by many as a 'scientific' alternative to the Gramscian Marxism which the PCI (among others) had claimed as its guide. He was also noted for his writings on aesthetics including writings on film theory. He was an atheist. Some of his most notable works include: Critique of Taste (Verso Books, 1991). Logic as a Positive Science (Verso Books, 1980). Rousseau and Marx: And Other Writings (Lawrence and Wishart, 1987). He had a number of students and disciples including Ignazio Ambrogio, Umberto Cerroni, Lucio Colletti, Nicolao Merker, Alessandro Mazzone, Armando Plebe, Mario Rossi, and Carlo Violi