Civil Society

Civil society is the interface between the public and the private: the rules and dispositions that define the relationships between the state and other social institutions, shaping both the state and these private entities. The first part of this chapter considers the apparent tension between the public and the private. The chapter then argues that, in contrast, the state should see the private realm as a necessary and beneficial counterpart to the public. This section invokes the idea of ‘invisible hand’ systems. It is an argument from the invisible hand that allows us to reconcile the restricted concern that is characteristic of the economic and social realms with the broader concern of the state, showing these to be complementary rather than set in tension. The chapter concludes by examining the constitutional structures needed to facilitate success in the private realm.