> Antonio Negri, for instance, speaks of "mass intellectuality" (an
> ungainly term, alas) as a defining characteristic of the so-called
> "post-Fordist" work force
"Mass intellectuality" originates from a problem of translation(s). Here is the route of the usage of the term : 1) the marxian concept "general intellect" 2) Italian translation : "intellettualita' di massa" ("intelletto collettivo" does not work for the purpose , "intelligenza collettiva" could work in Italian but it would originate many problems in translating it in other languages because it would translate "collective intelligence" making it a more cognitive sciences' term than it is meant to be) 3) English (literal) translation: "mass intellectuality"
So, the interchangeable characteristic of the two terms "general intellect" and "mass intellectuality" descends, imho, from the difficulty of effectively translating "general intellect" in Italian. I do prefer Paolo Virno's use of "general intellect" even in Italian. Besides pp 28-30 of Empire (where, it's true, "mass intellectuality" and "general intellect" are redundant) , a good synthesis of these issues can be found here:
http://www.emery.archive.mcmail.com/public_html/immaterial/lazzarat.html
ciao, alessandro