home

In the life of civil society he. Civil society: examples of countries. Examples of the formation and manifestation of civil society in Russia. Concepts of civil society in antiquity and the Middle Ages

Civil society

Civil society- this is the sphere of self-expression of free citizens and voluntarily formed associations and organizations, independent of direct interference and arbitrary regulation by government authorities. According to D. Easton's classic scheme, civil society acts as a filter of society's demands and support for the political system. A developed civil society is the most important prerequisite for building a rule of law state and its equal partner. In the Russian Constitution of 1993, the term “civil society” is not used, and of all the institutions of civil society, only the legal profession is noted in federal legislation.

Civil society is one of the phenomena of modern society, a set of social entities (groups, collectives) united by specific interests (economic, ethnic, cultural, etc.), implemented outside the sphere of state activity and allowing control over the actions of the state machine.

Civil society is a concept denoting the totality of non-political relations in society: economic, social, moral, religious, national and others.

Civil society can also be defined as a set of social relations outside the framework of government-state structures, but not outside the framework of the state as such.

Signs of civil society

The presence in society of free owners of the means of production;
Developed democracy;
Legal protection of citizens;
A certain level of civic culture;
the most complete provision of human rights and freedoms;
self-governance;
competition in the formation of their structures and individual groups of persons;
freely formed public opinions and pluralism;
legitimacy.

Civil society concept

In the social sciences, the following main approaches to defining the essence of civil society are distinguished: as opposed to anarchy; as the opposite of the church; as a complex of social relations opposed to the state; as a specific phenomenon of Western civilization. The difficulties in the formation of civil society are evidenced by the history of the development of its concept in Western socio-political thought.

T. Hobbes, English philosopher:

Civil society is a union of individuals, a collective in which all its members acquire the highest human qualities. The state prevails over civil society.

J. Locke, English philosopher:

Civil society is a political society, that is, a public sphere in which the state has its own interests.

C. Montesquieu, French philosopher:

Civil society is a society of hostility between people, which is transformed into a state to stop it.

T. Payne, American educator:

Civil society is a good thing, and the state is a necessary evil. The more perfect civil society is, the less it needs regulation by the state.

G. Hegel, German philosopher:

Civil society is the sphere of realization of especially private goals and interests of an individual. There is no genuine freedom in civil society, since there is always a contradiction between private interests and power, which is of a universal nature.

K. Marx, F. Engels, German economists and sociologists:

Civil society is the sphere of material, economic life and activity of people. It is this that is primary in relation to the state, civil life as the sum

2.1. Structure and main elements.

· Modern civil society has the following structure:

· 1. Voluntarily formed primary communities of people (family, cooperation, association, business corporations, public organizations, professional, creative, sports, ethnic, religious and other associations).

· 2. The totality of non-state, non-political relations in society: economic, social, family, spiritual, moral, religious and others: this is the industrial and private life of people, their customs, traditions, mores.

· 3. The sphere of self-expression of free individuals and their organizations, protected by laws from direct interference by state authorities.

· Thus, the structure of civil society in developed countries is a wide network of public relations, various voluntary organizations of citizens, their associations, lobbying and other groups, municipal communes, charitable foundations, interest clubs, creative, cooperative associations, consumer, sports societies, public -political, religious and other organizations and unions. All of them express a wide variety of social interests in all spheres of society.

· From this follows a specific analysis of the basic elements of civil society.

· Firstly, the economic organization of civil society is a society of civilized market relations. The market as a unique “component” of economic freedom is impossible without the development of independent entrepreneurial activity aimed at systematically generating profit.

· The second structural element of civil society is its social organization. In market conditions, it is very complex, which primarily reflects the differences between individual social groups. Three main groups of the civil society population can be distinguished: employees, entrepreneurs and disabled citizens. Ensuring a balanced balance of economic interests and material capabilities of these groups is an important area of social policy.

· Hired workers need to create economic, social and legal conditions for effective work, fair payment for their work, and wide participation in profits.

· Measures should be taken in relation to entrepreneurs aimed at guaranteeing them freedom of all forms of economic activity, at stimulating their investment in the development of efficient, profitable production of goods and services. As for disabled citizens, they must be provided with targeted social protection, social security and service standards must be defined that will allow them to maintain an acceptable standard of living.

· The third structural element of civil society is its socio-political organization. It cannot be identified with a state-political organization, with state management of society. On the contrary, the real democracy of civil society as the basis for ensuring real personal freedom becomes possible precisely when society, acquiring the qualities of a civil and legal society, develops its own, non-state socio-political mechanisms of self-regulation and self-organization. In accordance with this, the so-called political institutionalization of civil society occurs, that is, society self-organizes with the help of such institutions as political parties, mass movements, trade unions, women's, veteran, youth, religious organizations, voluntary societies, creative unions, fraternities, foundations, associations and other voluntary associations of citizens created on the basis of the commonality of their political, professional, cultural and other interests. An important constitutional basis for the political institutionalization of civil society is the principle of political and ideological pluralism and multi-party system. Civil society is alien to political and ideological monopoly, which suppresses dissent and does not allow any other ideology than the official, state one, or any other party other than the ruling one - the “party in power.” An important condition for ensuring political and ideological pluralism, and, consequently, the institutionalization of civil society, is the freedom of organization and operation of the media.

· This, however, does not mean the identity of personal freedom and the legal status of a citizen. Freedom, as already noted, has such a property as normativity. It follows from this, on the one hand, that a person gains freedom as a result of his ability to obey its normative requirements (generally binding rules of behavior). On the other hand, this means that the external form of existence of personal freedom is social norms that determine the measure and acceptable boundaries of freedom. And only in the most important areas, those of increased significance for society or for the individual himself, the measure of freedom is determined and normalized by the state itself. This is done with the help of legal norms and laws. Laws, if they are of a legal nature, are in this regard, according to Marx, the “bible of freedom.” The main legal means of consolidating and recognizing by the state the achieved personal freedom is the constitution.

· At the same time, the rights and freedoms themselves, including constitutional ones, on the one hand, are determined by the level of development of civil society, the maturity of its economic, social, socio-political organization; after all, civil society is a social environment where most human and civil rights and freedoms are realized. On the other hand, the development and deepening of the most important characteristics of civil society as a legal, democratic society, as a society of true freedom and social justice largely depend on the completeness of the rights and freedoms of man and citizen, the degree of their guarantee, and the consistency of implementation. Human rights and citizenship are in this regard a tool for the self-development of civil society and its self-organization. This two-pronged relationship is also consolidated at the state-legal, legal level, when the Constitution and other laws establish the responsibility of not only the citizen to the state, but also the state to the individual.

Civil society is a system of public institutions and relations independent of the state, which are designed to provide conditions for the self-realization of individuals and groups, the realization of private interests and needs.

Civil society can be defined as a set of family, moral, national, religious, social, economic relations and institutions through which the interests of individuals and their groups are satisfied. In other words, we can say that civil society is a necessary and rational way of coexistence of people, based on reason, freedom, law and democracy.

The concept of “civil society” is used in both a broad and narrow sense. Civil society in a broad sense covers all spheres of human activity. In a narrower, most widespread sense, this is the existence of democratic institutions and a legal state, which ensures the rule of law in all spheres of public and state life and guarantees individual freedom.

Conditions for the emergence of civil society:

1. The presence of a rule of law state that ensures and implements the rights and freedoms of citizens;
2. The emergence of opportunities for citizens to become economically independent on the basis of private property;
3. Elimination of class privileges.

Civil society is a non-state part of public life, a social space in which people are connected and interact with each other as free independent subjects.

The main subject of civil society is the sovereign individual. Those. civil society is built on the basis of non-power connections and relationships.

The basis of civil society is economic relations based on a variety of forms of ownership while respecting the interests of the individual and society as a whole.

Those. civil society only manifests its vital activity when its members have specific property, or the right to use and dispose of it. Ownership of property can be private or collective, but on the condition that each participant in collective property (collective farm, enterprise) really is such.

The presence of property is the main condition for individual freedom in any society.

Civil society is also based on sociocultural relations, including family, kinship, ethnic, and religious ties.

Civil society also includes relationships related to individual choice, political and cultural preferences, and value orientations. These are interest groups, political parties (not ruling ones), pressure groups, movements, clubs.

Those. cultural and political pluralism is ensured, ensuring the free expression of the will of all citizens.

Civil society is a social space where people voluntarily unite in organizations, centers that are created not by the state, but by the citizens themselves.

Those. these associations exist separately from the state, but within the framework of the laws in force in the state.

Main types of civil society:

- social structures;
- the totality of citizens of the country as a whole;
- the totality of citizens of the world.

Structure of civil society:

- non-state socio-economic relations and institutions (property, labor, entrepreneurship);
- a set of producers and entrepreneurs (private firms), independent from the state, private owners;
- public associations and organizations; political parties and movements;
- the sphere of education and non-state education;
- system of non-state media;
- family;
- church.

Signs of civil society:

- full provision of human and civil rights and freedoms;
- self-control;
- competition between the structures that form it and various groups of people;
- freely formed public opinion and pluralism;
- general awareness and real implementation of the human right to information;
- life activity in it is based on the principle of coordination; diversity of the economy; legitimacy and democratic nature of government; constitutional state;
- strong social policy of the state, ensuring a decent standard of living for people.

In relation to civil society, the role of the state is that it is called upon to coordinate and reconcile the interests of members of society. Civil society arises in the process and as a result of the separation of the state from social structures, its isolation as a relatively independent sphere of public life and the “denationalization” of a number of social relations. The modern state and law take shape in the process of development of civil society.

The category “civil society” was studied back in the 18th and 19th centuries, and was studied in detail in Hegel’s work “Philosophy of Law”. According to Hegel, civil society is the connection (communication) of individuals through a system of needs and division of labor, justice (legal institutions and law and order), and external order (police and corporation). The legal basis of civil society for Hegel is the equality of people as subjects of law, their legal freedom, individual private property, freedom of contract, protection of law from violations, orderly legislation and an authoritative court.

Civil society is not only the sum of individuals, but also a system of connections between them.

The defining moment in the formation of civil society is social responsibility. Its role in the system of coordination of multidimensional forms of interrelation of interests of the individual, society and the state lies in the fact that responsibility as a social phenomenon determines the limits of permissible activities of individuals, groups, and organizations in society. This is especially important in Russian conditions, where there is traditionally a great ethical understanding of the role of the state and the process of distinguishing between public, state and personal is extremely difficult. Speaking about responsibility as an objective phenomenon of social life, we mean, first of all, the function of reflecting in the public and individual consciousness the totality of “socially necessary”, normative requirements for the individual and the forms of his life activity, determined by the specifics of social development.

Existing within the framework of subject-object relations, responsibility is associated with those of them that generate certain requirements for the individual and social communities. These requirements become mandatory through a system of political, legal, economic, and moral norms. In other words, responsibility as an activity relationship is a specific historical type of interaction between an individual and society. That is why social responsibility as a public attitude integrates various elements of the process of formation of civil society and the rule of law, because it presupposes a conscious attitude of the subject (individual, social group) to the needs of social reality, being realized in historically significant activities. Responsibility means the unity of two aspects: negative and positive. The negative aspect is characterized by the presence of a system of social sanctions designed to regulate relations between the individual and society. The positive aspect implies the individual’s conscious realization of himself as an individual in the process of forming a civil society. Therefore, the formation of civil society is not limited to political phenomena such as democracy and parliamentarism. The basis of this process is the priority of the rights of the individual as an independent subject. Defending his rights and political positions, the individual correlates them with his ideas about legality, law, morality, and sociocultural orientations.

The social responsibility of an individual, a subject, is a multifunctional phenomenon where political, legal, moral and aesthetic values merge, creating the basis for a person’s awareness of the dichotomy of his rights and responsibilities and determining the nature of his activities.

Speaking about civil society, we should proceed from the concept of man and citizen, i.e. his rights and freedoms, as the main determinant of the political system of a society that strives to be democratic. The position of man in modern society, socialist and post-socialist, turned out to be much more important than other elements through which socialism has been defined until now, for example, ownership of the means of production, the dominant type of social distribution, and the monopoly position of the Communist Party. Now the concept of citizenship must also be rehabilitated, i.e. political and economic subjectivity, moral, religious and creative autonomy should be restored to man. It is difficult to imagine that a person can be free as long as an economic monopoly of any kind severely limits his activity.

Civil society- a set of citizens who are not close to the levers of state power; a set of social relations outside the framework of government, government and commercial structures; the sphere of self-expression of free citizens and voluntarily formed non-profit associations and organizations, protected from direct interference and arbitrary regulation by government authorities, as well as other external factors.

A developed civil society is the most important prerequisite for building a rule of law state and its equal partner. According to David Easton's classic scheme, civil society acts as a filter of public demands and support for the political system.

Conditions for the existence of civil society

Civil society concept

In the social sciences, the following main approaches to defining the essence of civil society are distinguished: as opposed to anarchy; as opposed to the work of the church; as a complex of social relations opposed to the state; as a specific phenomenon of Western civilization. The difficulties in the formation of civil society are evidenced by the history of the development of its concept in Western socio-political thought.

Stages of formation of civil society

Conventionally, three stages in the formation of civil society can be distinguished:

At the first stage, there is a separation of the civil and state spheres of society. The interaction between civil society and the apparatus of state power begins through modern democratic mechanisms (elections, referendums, rallies, petitions, etc.). The predominantly private sphere of public life is developing, various institutions and organizations appearing to serve the private interests of people. During this period, the system of classical capitalism prevails - with private property, market economy, free competition. The main classes at this stage are entrepreneurs and workers. To continue the formation of civil society, a rule of law state with a market economic system is necessary.
Next, not only the private, but also the public sphere of life begins to develop. Civil society, which was forced to independently protect the economic interests of various social strata, transfers these responsibilities to the state, which thanks to this becomes not only legal, but also social. At this stage, the conflict between the interests of capitalists and wage workers is smoothed out, society strives for a compromise between the interests of various social groups. The main place is occupied by the middle class, and the positions of the service class are also strengthening - these are managers, businessmen, and analysts.
At the final stage of the formation of civil society, its globalization and pluralization occurs. The class struggle tends to zero, the polarization of society (hostility between its classes) practically disappears. Different social groups have different interests only because of their cultural characteristics, and not because of enmity with other groups. Various subjects of civil society develop their own strategies and paths of development, and society itself practices tolerance, toleration of the entire spectrum of social groups, classes, ethnic groups, etc.

Philosophical postulates

Functions of civil society

Structure of civil society

Civil society is a horizontally structured set of independent public organizations and associations that distance themselves from government and commercial structures and function in accordance with their goals and objectives for the sake of realizing public interests.

Public organizations unite in accordance with their goals and objectives, as well as within the framework of ongoing projects. For example, to protect the environment within the framework of a regional problem. Many educational organizations, such as universities and libraries, are organized as non-profit organizations, which allows them to receive grants from various charities and have tax breaks from the government.

These organizations are financed within the framework of declared projects on a competitive basis from many different governmental and non-governmental national and international charitable foundations, which also have their own specialization: protecting the environment, promoting democracy in a particular country, protecting human rights, etc. For example, the Rockefeller Foundation supports various educational projects around the world, health projects, etc. or the world's largest charitable foundation, Bill and Melinda Gates, supporting projects in the field of health and poverty alleviation.

Charitable foundations, through their grantmaking policies, largely manage the activities of non-profit organizations, monitoring, supervising the implementation of projects, and also determining the humanitarian technologies used in projects.

Historical role

Positive review

Civil society is an essential element in the system of checks and balances of modern society, allowing to control and limit the activities of government institutions and business, preventing violations of the law and their excessive interference in the private lives of citizens.
Civil society makes it possible to effectively promote the interests of various social groups and protect their rights, including through the promotion of legislative initiatives.
Civil society institutions, functioning on the basis of cooperation and cooperation of various social groups, smooth out social contradictions and harmonize social relations.

Negative review

A significant drawback in the work of public organizations and associations at this stage is that there is not yet a stable, systematic and organized connection between civil formations, which is necessary to create a force capable of influencing the authorities in cases of violations of human and civil rights and freedoms.

Problems of civil society:

The problem of the formation of civil society is closely related to the problem of interaction between state power and civil society, which in turn is key in the process of government, which determines the relevance of this problem. At the moment, the process of forming a civil society is still ongoing. In modern Russia, this process is complicated by the lack of a clearly coordinated access to civilized market relations, the absence of a large layer of owners, and the low efficiency of the mechanism for legal protection of individuals. Yes, today crime has not been reduced to minimum levels and the legal activity of the population is at a low level. I believe that the problems of forming a civil society are directly related to the education and upbringing of both minors and the entire population of our country. By the formation of civil society, we must understand that this is the conscious participation of the population in the affairs of the state, and also participation in the formation of supreme and local authorities.

Notes

Barenboim P. D. The rule of law as a partner of civil society: on the 150th anniversary of the publication of the concept “The State as a Work of Art”, Legislation and Economics, No. 9, 2010
Easton D. A. Framework for Political Analysis. London; Sydney; Toronto; New Delhi; Tokyo, 1965
Kara-Murza S. G. “Society of Citizens”
Pyotr Baranov, Alexander Vorontsov, Sergey Shevchenko. Social science. Complete reference book. - M. : AST: Astrel, 2015. - P. 314. - 542 p.
The main stages and characteristic features of modern civil society (Russian). Retrieved April 13, 2019.
Philosophy of law at the beginning of the 21st century through the prism of constitutionalism and constitutional economics- Publication of the Moscow-Petersburg Philosophical Club, M., 2010, p. 29. ISBN 978-5-98856-119-4
// Civil Society in Russia and Abroad. - 2019. - Issue. 2. - pp. 31–34. -

Today in Russia there is an alienation between society and the authorities, which has given rise not only to the distrust of the “lower classes” towards the “higher classes”, but also the hostility of the “higher classes” to the “lower classes”, especially to any form of independent activity of society, due to the underdevelopment of social interests. Hence the constant desire of the state not to interact with the institutions of civil society, but to manage them, to ignore impulses from below, trying to turn civil movements and associations into channels for one-way transmission of instructions “from top to bottom.”

In modern Russia, the formation of civil society occurs simultaneously with the transition to a democratic system of government and a market economy. And in this transition, civil society must help Russia. It is a kind of “engine” in the development of the country towards building a rule of law state with a market economy. Currently, this problem is in the spotlight. Constantly in their speeches and addresses, the country's top leadership, political and public figures focus on the need to create a functioning civil society, and also the need for interaction between the state and government with civil society institutions in the formation of certain basic bills.

Currently in Russia there are serious challenges that the state is not able to withstand alone (terrorism, insufficient level and pace of reform of state institutions, high levels of poverty and slow changes in the consciousness of the population, etc.). And only together with civil society can the state confront these challenges. Civil society should become an assistant to the state in solving these problems.

President of the Russian Federation V.V. Putin is convinced that “without a mature civil society, it is impossible to effectively solve people’s pressing problems.” “Only a developed civil society can ensure the inviolability of democratic freedoms and guarantees of human and civil rights.” It must be said that civil society begins with developed self-awareness, rising from the individual principles of the individual. They can be developed, first of all, through the efforts of the individual himself, his aspiration for responsible freedom and democracy. And only a free person can ensure economic growth and prosperity of the state as a whole.

Today in Russia there are elements of civil society that exist and function, present in all spheres of public life (political, economic, social, spiritual, etc.). For example, political parties, local governments, the media, socio-political organizations, various environmental and human rights movements, ethnic and religious communities, sports associations, creative, scientific and cultural unions, unions of entrepreneurs and consumers, etc. In economic in the social sphere there are organizations such as the “Association of Russian Banks”, “Union of Entrepreneurs and Tenants”, in the social sphere – “Pension Fund”, “Union of Soldiers’ Mothers”, “Fund for Social Protection of Motherhood and Childhood”, in the political sphere – political parties, etc. d. But, unfortunately, many organizations, unions, associations and movements are independent only formally. In reality, everything is different. However, despite this, we can say that the formation of civil society in the Russian Federation has already begun and is taking its first steps.

Today, society can express its interests and give impulses to power through various channels. Direct communication with government officials at local, regional and federal levels (sending individual and collective letters, personal reception days, etc.). You can also “reach out to the authorities” through political parties. For example, the LDPR faction has created an Internet project where people can send videos they have shot about cases of corruption, violations of rights and the law, etc. After which the party sends a parliamentary request to the relevant government bodies. Citizens can also send impulses to the authorities through the media, etc.

It is impossible not to note the projects created for the development of civil society. For example, the creation of the “Public Chamber of the Russian Federation”. The official goal of which is to promote the formation, support of activities and development of the field of civil participation in the development and implementation of public policy in the Russian Federation. One of the most effective organizations for the formation of civil society, according to the author, has done a lot of positive things in this direction. The Law “On Education”, during the development and adoption of which the wishes of society were taken into account and amendments were made, the Law “On NPOs”, the reform of “Housing and Communal Services”, etc.

The “Council for Promoting the Development of Civil Society Institutions and Human Rights under the President of the Russian Federation” was also created. The main goal of this organization is to ensure and protect the rights and freedoms of man and citizen, to promote the formation and development of civil society.

Civil society institutions are the link between the state and the individual. They express the interests of members of society, on the basis of which laws are created and adopted. Signals and impulses emanating from society in Russia must correct and control the existing government.

In modern Russia, the formation of civil society has its own specific features:

1. The first feature is “the positive nature of rallies and protests.” In the Russian Federation, protest actions do not reach their extreme forms of manifestation. Russian legislation does not prohibit citizens of their country from holding peaceful rallies, pickets, marches, and protests. Through them, society forms and expresses its opinions and demands on various problems (social, political, economic, cultural), and on foreign policy issues. And it is worth emphasizing that the demands of the demonstrators are being met. The authorities hear the people and meet them halfway. For example, we can cite the events of May 2012. The main goal of the protest movement was to express itself to the authorities, about its attitude towards the legitimacy of the government, about its position towards the past elections. It is worth saying that the demonstrators achieved their goal. The protests acted as an impetus for dialogue with the authorities, and this dialogue took place. In Russia, protests and rallies are quite positive in nature, which distinguishes it from other countries. For example, from today's Ukraine, where protest movements and actions have acquired extreme forms of manifestation. The country is on the eve of destruction, the country is in chaos.

2. The second feature of the formation of civil society in modern Russia is its “ethno-regional character.” The gap in the level of development of civil relations in different regions of the country is too large (for example, in the capital and in the outback). This circumstance undoubtedly complicates the development of civil society in the political space of modern Russia. It follows from this that at the regional level civil society is much weaker than at the federal level. Of course, its ability to resist political power is much less than in the country as a whole. To eliminate such a deep contradiction, it is necessary to intensively develop local self-government, where not only power relations are concentrated, but also civil ones.

And here we cannot fail to note the activities of the “Public Chamber of the Russian Federation” to reduce the gap between the metropolis and the region. For example, in January 2013, President Vladimir Putin signed a law increasing the number of members of the “Public Chamber” from 126 to 166 people. This, undoubtedly, made it possible to expand the participation of regional public structures in the work of the “Public Chamber”, which, in turn, makes it possible to accelerate the development of a unified civil society in modern Russia.

3. The third feature is the “dependence of independent media.” Vladimir Putin, as a candidate for the presidency, on February 12, 2004, at a meeting with his proxies at Moscow State University, said: “We must continue to work to form a full-fledged, capable civil society in the country. Let me especially note: it is unthinkable without truly free and responsible media. But such freedom and such responsibility must have the necessary legal and economic basis, the creation of which is the duty of the state.” That is, in Russia, independent media are formed not by civil society, but by civil society and the state together. According to the author, this is a positive project. The state, to one degree or another, must control what information is provided to the media.

4. The last feature that the author highlights is the “PR-company of the President,” that is, direct communication with society. In no country is there a “direct line” of communication between the president and the people. Where various representatives of society take part (students, WWII veterans, scientists, cultural figures, large families, pensioners, doctors and many other representatives of society). People can contact the president by telephone, by sending letters, via the Internet or via teleconference. Such events last more than two hours. This is not the case even in the most democratic country, the United States of America. This feature distinguishes the formation of civil society institutions in modern Russia from Western countries.

Summarizing the above, we can draw several conclusions:

1. The formation of civil society institutions in Russia has begun and is moving forward in small steps (as noted above, many unions, associations, movements, associations, etc. have appeared in all spheres of society). Even if many organizations today are only formally independent of the state and power structures, they still exist, which provides grounds for a moderate optimistic assessment of the possibilities and prospects for the development of the rule of law and civil society in Russia;

2. Civil society in Russia is being formed simultaneously with the transition to a democratic and legal state. It should become the “engine” that will move the country towards a democratic state and a market economy;

3. The formation and development of civil society in Russia has its own specifics. She has her own path and her own road in this direction.

a society consisting of independent, self-sufficient individuals with fundamental rights and freedoms; a system of voluntary, self-governing communities of people created to achieve their own goals and interests, realize their abilities and talents: family, economic associations, professional, sports, creative, religious unions and associations, etc.

Civil relations include the sphere of non-commercial life: family-related, community, educational, religious, moral, commodity-money, etc., connecting people through joint activities to satisfy material and spiritual needs.

G.O. complements the hierarchical power relations approved by the state with horizontal relations operating on the basis of the principle of self-regulation.

G.O. – a society of pluralism in the economy (multiformity, variety of forms of ownership), politics (multi-party system, competitive elections), spiritual life (freedom of speech, conscience, religion).

Excellent definition

Incomplete definition ↓

CIVIL SOCIETY

includes the entire set of non-political relations in society, that is, economic, spiritual and moral, family and everyday life, religious, demographic, national, etc. Thus, G.o. a multidimensional, self-organizing system, intermediate between the family and the state; it is a naturally developing social, non-political relationship between individuals. In the system of civil society, everyone acts not as a subject of the state, but as a private person who has his own special life goals that differ from the national ones. In the formal-structural aspect, G.o. is a set of voluntary associations, unions, organizations that allow individuals to communicate on the basis of similar spiritual and practical interests. It does not allow citizens to become like scatterings of autonomous atoms and offers many forms of social cooperation and encourages various manifestations of human solidarity. G.o. - a rather late historical formation, characteristic of Western civilization of the New Age. Its emergence presupposed two main conditions - the transition of traditional feudal society to the industrial phase of development and the emergence of mass generations of emancipated citizens aware of the inalienability of their natural rights. Carrying out social initiatives coming from below, G.O. ensures self-regulation processes within the civilizational system. It complements the vertical power relations established by the state with horizontal relations operating on the basis of the principle of self-regulation. The state and the individual, which at first seem to be incomparable social values, in the presence of a developed G.o. acquire value equality. Without encouraging either statist arbitrariness or legal nihilism of individuals, G.O. contributes to the strengthening of social order, imparts to it such a quality as civilization. Therefore, G.o. this is the sphere of self-expression and self-development of the interests of free individuals, as well as voluntarily formed associations, non-governmental organizations of citizens. In democratic countries, civil society is protected by the necessary laws from direct interference, control and arbitrary regulation by government authorities. Today, civil society is one of the central categories of social philosophy, denoting that part of social existence in which the non-state and most active economic, social, spiritual life of people is concentrated and in which their “natural” rights and freedoms are realized, the equality of different subjects of activity, especially in a market space where all participants, regardless of any differences, enter into free and equal relations with each other. From this point of view, civil society is opposed to the state, whose task is to resolve conflicts between subjects of civil society by political (or in extreme situations - military) means and ensure its normal functioning.

The concept of civil society was formed in the course of the development of world political thought. The first clear ideas about civil society were expressed by N. Machiavelli, T. Hobbes and J. Locke. The ideas of natural rights as a model of the status and moral equality of people, as well as the social contract as a way to control the achievement of agreement, formed the basis of the modern understanding of civil society.

The creation of civil society implied the liberation of private life, family and business from the control of the state. At the same time, the individual received freedom of religion; everyday life emerged from political control; individual interest, especially in matters of private property and commercial activity, received support from the law. The presence of a mature civil society means respect for inalienable natural human rights and recognition of their moral equality. The central question became the relationship between the “sovereign state” and the “sovereign people,” who represented the legitimate basis of state power. The system of checks and balances ensured that a balance was found between the branches of government, between society and the state, freedom and responsibility, force and law. The state was not simply expelled from private life, the economy, and spiritual life, but, on the contrary, it was placed under control by society, which was exercised, in particular, on the issue of the ability of the authorities to ensure the security of these spheres and their freedom, to suppress any claims even through legitimate violence, to exert influence on They are also under pressure from non-state structures, for example, criminals, monopolies, etc.

The idea of building a civil society belongs to the liberal thought of the 18th century, which did not yet separate civil liberties from problems of morality and social equality. Later, the concept of civil society retains a positive attitude towards the freedoms of citizens, their rights and responsibilities in relation to the state. The state, for its part, is interpreted as expressing the interests of citizens. Civil society includes the separation of public and private spheres and at the same time their interaction. Based on this principle, women were involved in the public sphere, although previously only men were understood as an autonomous and responsible individual.

Today, Western social theories have a set of empirical features without which a society cannot be called good. The concept of “good society” is based on the idea of civil society and expands its boundaries. The “good society” is not a reality, but a theoretical tool for analyzing human achievements in the social sphere and conceptualizing them at the level of empirical generalizations. The essential features include: freedom and human rights, a person’s ability to be responsible in freedom, to strive not only for negative freedom - freedom “from” (coercion, dependence), but also for positive freedom - freedom “for” (self-realization, implementation of one’s plans , setting social goals, etc.); the achievability of a minimum of social and natural benefits; presence of social order. Civil society has this order. A classic term in philosophy, political science and legal science until the 60s. 20th century meant a society that is capable of bringing the state under control. In the 60s lawyer R. Neider organized a consumer protection society and made a theoretical expansion of this concept. This is a society that is capable of bringing under control not only the state, but also wealth. Similar attempts had been made before in Wilson's antitrust legislation and in antitrust policy, but were not conceptualized in terms of civil society. Before the proclamation of this idea, there was a popular phrase in America: “What is good for General Motors is good for America.” R. Neider questioned this thesis. Despite the fact that society cannot exist without the state as a body of legitimate violence, it is taken under control in civil society. The same should happen with corporations. This new doctrine, which operates in the United States to certain extents (through the consumer law service, the Bureau of Better Service, consumer courts, etc.), takes into account not only civil liberties and individual rights, but also economic rights, which are classified in the classical liberalism is more likely to benefit.

Lit.: Modern liberalism. M., 1998; Held D. Models of Democracy. Stanford, 1987; Held D. Prospects for Democracy. North, South, East, West. Stanford, 1993; Isaac K. Citizens for Democracy. Wash., 1992; Liberalism and the Good, ed. by R. B. Douglass, G. M. Mare, N. S. Richardson. N.Y.-L., 1990; PelcynskiZ. A. The State and Civil Society. N.U., 1984.