Benedetto Fontana

Benedetto Fontana is a Professor in the Department of Political Science at the Weissman School of Arts and Sciences, Baruch College, City University of New York (CUNY). His scholarly work bridges classical political thought with modern ideologies, focusing on the intellectual intersections between Machiavelli and Gramsci, with particular emphasis on hegemony, republican liberty, and class conflict.

His research spans

• the rhetorical foundations of democratic governance
• ancient-modern political theory
• Gramscian Marxist analysis
• early modern Italian political philosophy

He has authored or co-authored 15 monographs and journal articles on these themes.

Fontana's recent publications explore

• the Ciompi Revolt in Machiavelli's political framework (2020)
• Vico's rhetorical philosophy (2017)
• Gramsci's state theory (2016)
• Tacitus' influence on Machiavelli (2013)

His work often examines how classical concepts of power, rhetoric, and historical consciousness shape contemporary political discourse.

Scientific honors include

• Eugene M. Lang Junior Faculty Research Fellowship
• Whiting Teaching Award
• NSF Graduate Fellowship

He has served on numerous academic committees at Baruch College and the Graduate Center/CUNY, including chair roles in the Faculty Senate and PhD Program Exam Grading Committee.

Fontana actively reviews manuscripts for prestigious presses like Cambridge University Press and journals including American Political Science Review. His current research projects include a book titled Gramsci and the Rhetoric of Hegemony and a Machiavelli-focused study on classical influences.