> Reply-to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > From: Doug Henwood <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: [PEN-L:9594] civil society > Could anyone enlighten me on the evolution of the term civil society? As I > understand it, Hegel used it to signify the world of market relations. But > it has come to signify a "third sector," the world of philanthropies, > community orgnizations, volunteerism, meant as a balance to state and > market. Since so much of the "third sector" is ruled by big-money > foundations, it seems to me that present usage is unconsciously > acknowledging the term's origins, while still professing to offer balance > to the "market." > > Isn't Vaclav Havel somehow responsible for this? I thought it was DeToqueville. To me the term connotes not simply foundations but the entire organization outside the strictly-defined public sector, meaning family, community organizations, lodges, trade unions and associations, etc. Obviously, as JD says, this is all shot through with class relations of an unwholesome nature, but it also reflects efforts by the working class to organize itself. Re: JD's comment it seem logical that Marx's vision of the state withering away implies the ascendance of civil society. Forcing people to think about this, if only by provocation, is in my opinion a useful antidote to excessive reliance by the left (liberal and social-democratic, as well as radical) on commandism in economics and social policy. MBS =================================================== Max B. Sawicky Economic Policy Institute [EMAIL PROTECTED] 1660 L Street, NW 202-775-8810 (voice) Ste. 1200 202-775-0819 (fax) Washington, DC 20036 Opinions above do not necessarily reflect the views of anyone associated with the Economic Policy Institute. ===================================================
