Civil Society and PeaceinanUncerta in World

Abstract

Thispaperarguesthattheconceptofcivilsocietyissignificantforpeaceandpeace-building,andthatitismostusefulwhenarticulatingtheimportance,anddefendingthepossibilityofpublicdisagreementanddiscussionwhenconstructingsharedideasofthegoodsociety.Itsnormativepowerliesnotinthespecificvalueswhichdifferenttraditionsattachtotheconcept,butinthegeneralvalueofaspiringtosuchasocietycreatedthroughthecontestedvaluesofwhat“good”actuallymeans.Potentially,civilsocietyhasadeepaffinitywith“peace,”anotherimportantideathatisoftentreatedinuncontroversialtermsassimplytheabsenceofwar.If,ontheotherhand,peaceisconceptualizedasahighlycomplexideathatpertainstothehumanendeavorofbuildingconditionsinwhichsocietiescanlivewithoutviolence,itisevidentthat,likecivilsociety,peaceisasiteofdisagreementaswellasthecapacitytoreachagreementsamongthemselves.Thefirstsectionofthepapertracesthehistoryofcivilsocietyideas.Thesecondexplainsthefivevisionsofcivilsociety.Thethirdsectionarguesthatcivilsocietyisconceptuallyrelevantpreciselybecauseitconcernsapluralityofvisionsthatarearticulatedinapluralityofways,allofwhichultimatelycontributetothepeacefulinteractionsofhumanbeings.Distinctionsbetweenthe“civil”andthe“uncivil”thereforeneedtobeexploredand,itisargued,retained.Theaffinityofcivilsocietywithpeaceandpeace-buildingbecomesclearonlyifthisdistinctionisclearlyunderstood.Acommitmenttononviolentformsofhumaninteractionmustsurelydefineaboundaryfortheideaofcivilsocietyifitistobemeaningfultounderstandingsofhumanprogress.Sectionfourfocusesonthesekeydistinctions.Sectionfivemakesthecaseformaintaininganexplicitlynormative,butnothegemonicorhomogenousunderstandingofcivilsocietywhichaspirestodistinguishitselffromanuncivil“Other”byexploringthecontributionofassociationstopeace-buildinginpractice.Recognizingthelegitimacyandsignificanceofassociationaldynamicsoutsideofthestatehasbeenofvital—thoughcontroversial—importanceineffortstobuildnewnormsforpeaceintheworld,counterviolentactors,andbuildpeacefuloutcomesafterpeaceagreements.Civilsocietyisthereforeavitalconceptualsourceofagreement-buildingaroundsuchnorms.