Civil Society: Does it automatically represent the will of the people?

By Marc Davies, Rhodes University, Politics and International Relations 3

Civil society is a concept and ‘layer’ of society prevalent in the lexicon and lived experience of the modern neoliberal order, although it predates this period. It perhaps finds contemporary meaning in light of the democratic ideals of liberty and equality thrust most famously into popular discourse during the French Revolution and, again, finding greater global appeal following the end of the Cold War. Nevertheless, civil society as a concept and ideal, or set of ideals, remains one that is contested and challenged on several grounds, including its potential to act as a ‘scapegoat’ or ‘substitute’ for the shortcomings of the neoliberal capitalist order and its exclusivity (Neocosmos, 2011: 377; Chatterjee, 2004: 40). In this essay, I will attempt to discuss what civil society entails and further discuss some of its shortcomings conceptually and practically. The corollary of this will be to consider whether this ‘sphere’ of civil society automatically represents the will of ‘the people’. The above framework will rely chiefly on Chatterjee’s argument of civil society as “demographically limited” in Politics of the Governed (Chatterjee, 2004: 39), as well as reflection on how the twinned concepts of liberalism and capitalism have produced a largely undemocratic and oppressive project for the poor, one that civil society – as long as it continues to operate within this ideological framework - cannot conceptually or practically hope to resolve.

Does civil society automatically represent the will of the people?

by Aimee Caulfield
 
Civil society is a political domain in which intermediary institutions help to voice the concerns of society as well as to enrich public participation in democracies. Yet it often falls short of its promise. This essay will look at civil society in particular reference to India to decide whether or not it represents the will of the people. It will evaluate what civil society should be with what is actually happening in reality. 

Does civil society automatically represent the will of the people?

by Catherine Cunningham

The very idea that ‘the will of the people’ can be represented assumes that a common will can actually exist. Within contemporary theory, the possibility of a collective will has been widely deliberated. This essay, in accordance with Peter Hallward’s article entitled The Will of the People: Notes towards a dialectical voluntarism, argues that a common will can be made manifest when one reconciles the perceived theoretical dichotomy between agency and structure. Having ascertained the possibility for a collective will, this essay seeks to evaluate the neo-liberal state, and consequently, the supposed need for civil society. As such, this essay will contend that the state, which acts in accordance with what Foucault denotes as ‘governmentality’, justifies itself insofar as it provides for its citizens (Chatterjee, 2004: 34). This is problematic as it reduces political agents to passive recipients of policies. Furthermore, it is only where state provision of welfare is insufficient that the perceived need for civil society, most prominently conceptualised as NGOs (Neocosmos, 2009: 7) emerges.

Civil Society and the Will of the People

by Sandra Masaka

A democracy is said to be efficient if it has a civil society that is independent from the state and represents the people without bias. However, the existence of civil society has led to the stereotype and assumption that it automatically represents the will of the people. In my essay, I will set out to question whether or not the representation of the people’s will is automatic if existent at all?. This essay will also look at the main ideas behind civil society and the importance of the will of the people and compare and contrast as to whether, in reality, they exist or function as they should. I will also make reference to real-life examples in India and South Africa to see if civil society does indeed automatically represent the will of the people. The question that will also be raised is that if civil society does not, in fact, represent the will of the people- then who or what does? Are the wishes of the people then just ignored? Furthermore, we need to question the importance of civil society within a democracy and whether or not democracy can still be said to exist if civil society is actually dysfunctional.