Občianska spoločnosť: pokus o sociologickú reflexiu
The Civil Society: an Attempt for Sociological Reflection

Summary/Abstract: The Civil Society: an Attempt for a Sociological Reflection. We are analysing the question whether there are any reasons for suggesting and accepting an innovation in terminology that is advocated by the author. The innovation concerns the introduction of a new term into the well established set of categories used in sociology and political science. The term under discussion is citizencracy and its derivatives: a citizencrat, citizencratic, etc. The author is sure this new term citizencracy allows us to express and describe more precisely the reality that is traditionally denoted as the need for restoration of democracy in the situation after the collapse of communism when the main task is to restore the civil society. The term democracy is being criticised for its close ties with the type of post-feudal way of thinking. It is the ”power of people” that is being asserted in contrast with the ”power of feudal aristocracy”. Per analogiam, a claim for the ”power of proletariat” evolved in contrast to the ”power of bourgeoisie”. The term citizencracy does not suffer from such a burden. It is put into contrast with no concrete historical form of civilisation deficit, but it is in contrast with a civilisation deficit in general. The innovation should not lead to the elimination of the term democracy from the set of professional terms. The desired relation of these terms is not that of ”either – or”, but that of ”both ... and”. Citizencracy includes the traditional democracy as its historic precursor and thus also as its logical fundament. It includes, however, something ”extra”. This ”extra” is identical with the phenomenon described by the Polish sociologist Jerzy Siracki in connection with the analysis of sources of revival of the idea of civil society. Citizencracy is bringing the traditionally used term of democracy to a more profound and extended meaning, it is pushing this term to a higher stage of development. Sociológia 2002 Vol. 34 (No. 5: 393-410)

• Details
• Contents