Why the Civil Society Is Not Good Enough

Abstract

This article distinguishes the communitarian social position from the liberal and conservative ones, and discusses its focus on the good society, which is more expansive than civil society. For communitarians, the good society fosters shared moral understanding and is hence not value-neutral. Indeed, the good society is centered on a core of substantive values. The article suggests that the concept of a good society can fill the normative void inherent in the definition of civil society. Modern societies have increasingly been faced with a moral vacuum; provided societies must uphold some values, the remaining question is — which values?