In Antonio Gramsci’s definition of intellectual, which is the correct option?
(A) Every social group joining the world of production creates organically a stratum of intellectuals.
(B) Intellectuals give homogeneity and awareness of a social group’s function in all the fields.
(C) Intellectuals do not work for consolidating the power of a social group.
(D) The category of ecclesiastics is organically bound to the bourgeoisie.
(E) The monopoly held by the ecclesiastics in the superstructural domain was not exercised without a contestation.
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

The correct answer is (A), (B) and (E) Only.

In Antonio Gramsci’s influential work Selections from the Prison Notebooks, he reformulates the concept of the "intellectual" and analyzes how social groups construct hegemony. Let us examine the statements step-by-step to understand why this option is correct:

Statement (A): "Every social group joining the world of production creates organically a stratum of intellectuals."
This statement is correct. Gramsci argues that every essential social group that emerges in history out of the economic sphere (the world of production) creates along with itself, organically, one or more strata of intellectuals. These "organic" intellectuals give the group homogeneity and an awareness of its own function, not only in the economic field but also in the social and political fields.

Statement (B): "Intellectuals give homogeneity and awareness of a social group’s function in all the fields."
This statement is correct. As Gramsci describes, a primary role of organic intellectuals is to provide their respective social class with a cohesive consciousness (homogeneity) and a clear understanding of its economic, political, and cultural roles/functions within society.

Statement (C): "Intellectuals do not work for consolidating the power of a social group."
This statement is incorrect. According to Gramsci, intellectuals (especially organic intellectuals) are the dominant group's "deputies" in the superstructure. They play a critical role in securing the spontaneous consent of the masses and building/consolidating the ideological hegemony and power of their social group.

Statement (D): "The category of ecclesiastics is organically bound to the bourgeoisie."
This statement is incorrect. Gramsci categorizes ecclesiastics (the clergy) as a historical example of "traditional" intellectuals. Traditional intellectuals are those who survive from earlier socio-economic formations and view themselves as autonomous and independent of the dominant ruling class, rather than being organically bound to the modern bourgeoisie.

Statement (E): "The monopoly held by the ecclesiastics in the superstructural domain was not exercised without a contestation."
This statement is correct. Historically, the intellectual monopoly of the clergy (ecclesiastics) over education, morality, and superstructural domains was challenged and contested by other rising social groups and secular intellectuals, leading to conflicts and struggle for cultural leadership.

Therefore, statements (A), (B), and (E) are correct, making (A), (B) and (E) Only the correct choice.