Alternative Conceptions of Civil Society

Edited by Simone Chambers & Will Kymlicka

The idea of civil society has long been central to the Western liberal-democratic tradition, where it has been seen as a crucial site for the development and pursuit of basic liberal values such as individual freedom, social pluralism, and democratic citizenship. This book considers how a host of other ethical traditions define civil society. Unlike most studies of the subject, which focus on a particular region or tradition, it considers a range of ethical traditions rarely addressed in one volume: libertarianism, critical theory, feminism, liberal egalitarianism, natural law, Christianity, Islam, Judaism, and Confucianism. It considers the extent to which these traditions agree or disagree on how to define civil society's limits and how to evaluate its benefits and harms.A variety of distinguished advocates and interpreters of these traditions present in-depth explorations of how these various traditions think of ethical pluralism within societies, asking how a society should respond to diversity among its members. Together they produce a work rich with original insights on a wide range of subjects about which little has been written to date.An excellent starting point for a comparative ethics of civil society, this book concludes that while the concept of civil society originated in the liberal tradition, it is quickly becoming an important focus for a truly cross-cultural dialogue. In addition to the editors, the contributors are Michael Banner, Hasan Hanafi, Loren E. Lomasky, Richard Madsen, Michael A. Mosher, Michael Pakaluk, Anne Philips, Adam B. Seligman, Suzanne Last Stone, and Michael Walzer.

Acknowledgments vii INTRODUCTION: Alternative Conceptions of Civil Society by Simone Chambers and Will Kymlicka 1 PART I CHAPTER 1: Civil Society as Idea and Ideal by Adam B. Seligman 13 CHAPTER 2: Equality and Civil Society by Michael Walzer 34 CHAPTER 3: Classical Liberalism and Civil Society by Loren E. Lomasky 50 PART II CHAPTER 4: Does Feminism Need a Conception of Civil Society by Anne Phillips 71 CHAPTER 5: A Critical Theory of Civil Society by Simone Chambers 90 PART III CHAPTER 6: Christianity and Civil Society by Michael Banner 113 CHAPTER 7: Natural Law and Civil Society by Michael Pakaluk 131 PART IV CHAPTER 8: The Jewish Tradition and Civil Society by Suzanne Last Stone 151 CHAPTER 9: Alternative Conceptions of Civil Society: A Reflective Islamic Approach by Hanson Hanafi 171 CHAPTER 10: Confucian Conceptions of Civil Society by Richard Madsen 190 PART V CHAPTER 11: Conclusion: Are Civil Societies the Transmission Belts of Ethical Tradition? by Michael A. Mosher 207 Contributors 231 Index 233