- [UNTITLED]
- Contributors
- Introduction: Civil Society and the Geometry of Human Relations
- The History of Civil Society Ideas
- The Nonprofit Sector
- Development NGOs
- Grassroots Associations
- Social Movements
- Social Enterprise and Social Entrepreneurs
- Global Civil Society
- Civil Society in the United States
- Civil Society in Latin America
- Civil Society in Post-Communist Europe
- Civil Society in the Middle East
- Civil Society in China
- Civil Society in India
- Civil Society in Sub-Saharan Africa
- Civil Society and Social Capital
- Civil and Uncivil Society
- Civil Society and Civility
- Civil Society and Equality
- Civil Society and Diversity
- Civil Society and Religion
- Civil Society and Spirituality
- Civil Society and Government
- Civil Society and Civil Liberties
- Civil Society and the Public Sphere
- Civil Society and Public Work
- Civil Society in the Digital Age
- Civil Society and Public Journalism
- Civic Knowledge
- Civil Society and Democracy
- Civil Society and Poverty
- Civil Society and Peace
- Civil Society and Power
- Civil Society and the Market
- Civil Society and Institutional Philanthropy
- Civil Society and Grassroots Philanthropy
- Assisting Civil Society and Promoting Democracy
- Conclusion: Civil Society as a Necessary and Necessarily Contested Idea
- Index
Abstract and Keywords
This article examines the importance of the public sphere theory to civil society. It explains that theories of the public sphere developed alongside both the modern state with its powerful administrative apparatus and the modern capitalist economy with its equally powerful capacity to expand wealth and also inequalities and intensify exploitation of nature and people. It argues that the value of a public sphere rooted in civil society rests on the claims that there are matters of concern important to all citizens and to the organization of their lives together and that states and other powerful organizations might be organized to serve the collective interests of ordinary people rather than state power as such.
Keywords: public sphere, civil society, modern state, capitalist economy, citizens, collective interests, inequalities
Craig Calhoun is President of the U.S. Social Science Research Council and University Professor at New York University. His books include Cosmopolitanism and Belonging (Routledge, 2011) and Possible Futures (New York University Press, 2011).
Access to the complete content on Oxford Handbooks Online requires a subscription or purchase. Public users are able to search the site and view the abstracts and keywords for each book and chapter without a subscription.
Please subscribe or login to access full text content.
If you have purchased a print title that contains an access token, please see the token for information about how to register your code.
For questions on access or troubleshooting, please check our FAQs, and if you can''t find the answer there, please contact us.
- [UNTITLED]
- Contributors
- Introduction: Civil Society and the Geometry of Human Relations
- The History of Civil Society Ideas
- The Nonprofit Sector
- Development NGOs
- Grassroots Associations
- Social Movements
- Social Enterprise and Social Entrepreneurs
- Global Civil Society
- Civil Society in the United States
- Civil Society in Latin America
- Civil Society in Post-Communist Europe
- Civil Society in the Middle East
- Civil Society in China
- Civil Society in India
- Civil Society in Sub-Saharan Africa
- Civil Society and Social Capital
- Civil and Uncivil Society
- Civil Society and Civility
- Civil Society and Equality
- Civil Society and Diversity
- Civil Society and Religion
- Civil Society and Spirituality
- Civil Society and Government
- Civil Society and Civil Liberties
- Civil Society and the Public Sphere
- Civil Society and Public Work
- Civil Society in the Digital Age
- Civil Society and Public Journalism
- Civic Knowledge
- Civil Society and Democracy
- Civil Society and Poverty
- Civil Society and Peace
- Civil Society and Power
- Civil Society and the Market
- Civil Society and Institutional Philanthropy
- Civil Society and Grassroots Philanthropy
- Assisting Civil Society and Promoting Democracy
- Conclusion: Civil Society as a Necessary and Necessarily Contested Idea
- Index