The Western Civil Society Concept: the British Context

In the past 30 years, the Russian academia has seen growing interest in the topic of the non-profit sector and civil society organisations. In political science, more frequently focus is dedicated to issues related to the non-profit, public sector, as well as the topic of civil society at large. In this regard, there is a need to systematize the perception of civil society as a social system based on particular historical, philosophical and civilizational principles. In the United Kingdom, the theory of civil society is inextricably linked with the development of European humanitarian thought, but also has its own features. In this regard, the study examines the European foundations of the theory of civil society (based on the works of Plato, Aristotle and Cicero), as well as exclusively British milestones in its development, both in historical documents and in the works of British thinkers. The purpose of this work is to analyze the “theory of civil society” and its development in the context of British history. The methodological basis of the study is comprised of historical and political science approaches to the analysis of works considering civil society as a concept with a wide range of interpretations. The subject of this study includes relevant historical British legal documents and the works of British philosophers and social thinkers. Their scientific legacy demonstrates the British approach to interpreting the theory of civil society and shed light on the modern features of civil society theory in the UK philosophical and sociopolitical tradition.

United Kingdom, civil society, people and the state, civil society theory