State is an important concept in the arena of Political Science it was a central concept till the emergence of the Behaviorist movement. The Behaviorists disputed the centrality of the state and treated power as the most important concept in Political Science. The idea of state is related to the growth and development of human history and it isn’t easy to pinpoint when and how the idea of state came into being.
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Despite the shift towards Behaviorists, the state still holds its primacy in Political Science. The concept of state was mentioned in Shanti Parv of Mahabharat and the writing of ancient Greece. Later, the theory of Saptanga was mentioned in Arthashastra of Kautilya. In the theory of Saptanga, seven elements; Swami (king), Amatya (minister), Janpad (territory), Kosa (treasury or finance), Durga (army), Danda (coercive power) and Mitra (allies); make a state.
In the Western world, the concept of the state was figured out from the writings of Plato, Aristotle, and Cicero while in modern times, Machiavelli, Harold Laski, and J.W. Garner treated the state as the most important and powerful institution.
Civil Society – Meaning
The concept of civil society is generally mistaken for the political society but both the terms have different meanings. Society is a general term, meant by having all ‘social relationships’ within its boundary while civil society refers to a type of society existing at a particular point in time. While society deals with an array of social relationships and social activities, civil society is primarily concerned with public and public affairs.
Libertarianism believes that the order in the society is not imposed from above or by the Government of the state. It is spontaneous, arising automatically out of the actions of millions of individuals who interact with each other to achieve some common goals. Thus, liberationists define civil society as natural and voluntary associations in society. It does contain a plethora of associations and organizations such as family, labor unions, religion; kinship-based associations, neighborhood groups, and various forms of commercial activities such as partnerships, corporations, and trade unions.
Civil Society – Characteristics
Civil society has several distinct characteristics; civil society is a group of persons working or living together. These societies form with common aims and objectives which act as the cementing bond among members of society. Aristotle also underlines that societies were formed for the sake of life and afterward maintained for the sake of a good life. Society is based on voluntary membership and an individual has freedom to choose whether he wants to be a member of this society or not.
The civil societies are characterized by cooperation. Human life is so much complicated and its needs and wants are so diversified that a man alone cannot fulfill all these. He has to take the help and cooperation of another fellow human being. Equality among the members of civil society is another important feature. These societies fulfill the social instincts of individuals. As Aristotle has aptly said man is a social animal and society satisfies this social instinct.
Thus, civil societies became an essential part of modern-day states.