Civil Society And Democracy

The relationship between civil society and democracy is a controversial topic towhich much attention has always been paid by scholars at home and abroad.Discussion of it has once again been put on the agenda with the advancement ofdemocracy worldwide, the prevalence of the discourse of “Participatory Governance”and the emergence of civil society online. Tocquevilles works Democracy in Americais filled with the idea of civil society in spite of its theme of democracy and freedom.His comprehension of the concept of civil society and the argumentation of itsrelationship with democracy are of referential significance for the correctinterpretation of their relationship, the development of civil society and thecultivation of civil society in China.Tocquevilles idea of civil society is based on his dual interpretation of“democracy”-democratic political system and democratic society. And its logicalstarting point is “restriction of power by society” and “prevention of majoritytyranny”. Different from the interpretation of civil society by the dichotomy mode“state-society”, Tocqueville views “civil society” as a expansionary category, which isconstituted by a variety of social organizations and possesses a distinct politicalpriority. Political concerns inherent in civil society contribute to its "amphibious"character, and bridge the gap between the original "state" and "society" as well asthe discontinuity of theory caused by the dichotomy of state-society. In themeantime, the "amphibious" characteristic, as well as the potential hypothesis ofdemocracy in Tocqueville’s idea of civil society also proves: it is not only that amature civil society gave birth to the American democracy, but the growth andimprovement of civil society cannot do without the support of strong democraticinstitutions; civil society and democracy develop an interdependent, interactivemechanism.To be specific, this thesis will be organized as follows:Chapter one will start with the description of Tocqueville’s character and thebackground of Democracy in America so as to interpret Tocquevilles democracy from the dual dimensions as well as the "paradox of democracy", and then points out thelogic beginning of the remedial measure of the idea of "civil society".In chapter two, based on the in-depth interpretation of Democracy in America,Tocquevilles idea of civil society will be summarized, restored and constructed. Inaddition, a detailed observation of Tocquevilles perfect fusion of the argumentationof democracy and civil society will be made from the three analytic perspectives: thepermanent associations, the political associations and civil associations.Chapter three demonstrates the mutual construction of civil society anddemocracy from the two dimensions of “the effect of civil society on democracy” and“the grace of democracy”, mainly from four perspectives: religion, education,democratic institutions and democratic culture.In chapter four, Tocquevilles idea of civil society and his comprehension of therelationship between civil society and democracy will be analyzed to explore thetheoretical and practical implications in the background of global democratization.Moreover, its limitations and its experience for China in cultivating civil society willalso be provided.