civil society

community

drinking

society

one-liner

is a form of economic organization whereby activities formerly confined to the household framework emerged into the public sphere. Economic activity became private but was oriented towards the public commodity market.

Civil society was born as the corollary of the depersonalized state authority. Activities formerly confined to the household framework emerged into the public sphere. Economic activity became private but was oriented towards the public commodity market. The very idea of economics also changed... it ceased to relate to the household/oikos, and took its modern form.' (spark Habermas)

is a historically determined phenomena that arose with the growth of capitalism as a result of the separation of spheres which depended on the rise of the bourgeoisie in a market sphere structurally separate from formal state power.

Marx saw civil society as a historically determined phenomenon characterized by certain forms of production and certain social relations coterminous with the growth of capitalism and the emergence of the bourgeoisie. Civil society arose as a result of the separation of spheres which depended on the rise of the bourgeoisie in a market sphere structurally separate from formal state power. (p. 93)

is a plural and competitive sphere which reflects the inequalities of class, race and gender which structure the society in which it is embedded.

As such, civil society is a plural and competitive sphere. Yet Gramsci's civil society bears little relation to a pluralist model of society in which groups compete freely on a fairly equal basis. Rather, Gramsci stressed that civil society reflects the inequalities of class, race and gender which structure the society in which it is embedded. (p. 94)

is a promoter of inequality to the extent that those who are already powerful will have greater possibilities to take advantage of civil society to increase their quota of power.

For Gramsci, civil society is therefore compatible with social divisions and inequalities and may indeed, according to Funes Rivas, be seen as a promoter of inequality to the extent that those who are already powerful will have greater possibilities to take advantage of civil society to increase their quota of power (1993:67).

is a set of institutions strong enough to counterbalance the state without preventing it from fulfilling its role as keeper of peace.

In the words of Ernest Gellner, civil society is the set of 'institutions, which is strong enough to counterbalance the state, and, whilst not preventing the state from fulfilling its role of keeper of peace and arbitrator between major interests, can, nevertheless, prevent the state from dominating and atomizing the rest of society'.

is a sphere in which society passes over into the state through professional guilds which provide, on the one hand, an ethical connection and common direction between individuals, and on the other, a mediating link between the individual's particular life as person and subject, and the individual's common life as member of a universal society.

For this reason, Hegel recommends that civil society be organized into 'corporations' or professional guilds, which provide their members with a 'corporation spirit,' a sense of solidarity with others who ply the same trade or profession [Gewerbe), and a sense of collective responsibility to civil society at large for performing its distinctive function. This not only provides an ethical connection between the individuals who share a common estate, but it also directs them toward common or ethical ends, and provides a mediating link between the individual's particular life as person and subject, and the individual's common life as member of a universal society (PR 255A). In this way 'the sphere of civil society passes over into the state' (PR 256R).

is a sphere of action that is independent of the state and that is capable precisely for this reason of energizing resistance to a tyrannical regime.

Foley and Edwards highlight these two broad versions of the civil society argument. One argument emphasises 'civil society as a sphere of action that is independent of the state and that is capable precisely for this reason of energising resistance to a tyrannical regime' (1996:39). (p. 98)

is a sphere of private contracts and economic exchanges where cold egoistic and calculative reason surpasses feelings (in contrast to the family where feelings surpass reason).

For Hegel family is a sphere where people love their 'concrete other' (term invented by Hegelian Georg Herbert Mead) and where feelings surpasses reason. Civil Society is a sphere of private contracts and economic exchanges where cold egoistic and calculative reason surpasses feelings. In the sphere of State the contradiction of family and Civil Society (e.g. Das Adam-Smith-Problem) is solved by 'rational feeling'. According to Hegel State should protect citizens from alienating effect of egoistic reason of Civil Society and cultivate 'family-feelings' to rational feelings which integrate citizen into 'sittliche community' (community of manners and solidarity) through reciprocal process of recognition (citizens reciprocally recognize each other's importance to community).

civil society, n.Definitions

civil society