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civil society

noun

Etymology

From the archaic sense of civil, “peaceful and well-ordered”. Later senses of civil society reflect 19th-century Hegelian influence, as well as the earlier argument that tyrannical governments exist in the state of nature in relation to their subjects.

Definitions

  1. All of the institutions, voluntary organizations and corporate bodies that are less than…

    All of the institutions, voluntary organizations and corporate bodies that are less than the state but greater than the family.

  2. Those things expected of a democratic society, such as free speech and human rights.

  3. Organized, internally peaceful human society

    Organized, internally peaceful human society; civilization.

    • Man’s decision to leave the state of nature is a natural decision. […] Civil society is, in effect, nature rendered reasonable.

The neighborhood

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for civil society. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA