Marx's Civil Society Theory And Its Enlightenment In Establishing Harmonious Society

The study of civil society has a long history in the West. Traditional civil society equivalent to political society, it means political community or city-state. In a long time, civil society is the state and they are the same.Hegel is the first person who separated the civil society from political state. He brings up the modern sense of civil society. Through criticizing Hegel's Philosophy of Law, Marx began to research the civil society and then has his own conception of civil society. Civil society theory is an important component of Marxism. Marx's civil society theory is "it's a social organization which developed directly from the production and exchange", which profoundly reveals the essence of civil society.First of all, the thesis explored the origin of Marx's civil society—Hegel's theory of civil society. Through analysis the basic content and the main features of Hegel's civil society, on the one hand, the thesis affirms Hegel's view that the civil society separated from political state, and on the other hand, the thesis points out the limitations of Hegel's theory and then indicates the development logic of Marx's theory. Secondly, the thesis researches the basic content of Marx's theory. The thesis says that Marx's conception of civil society have three different meanings in different times.It reflects the development logic of Marx's thought on civil society. Marx made the conclusion, not the state determined the civil society but the civil society determined the state. This conclusion illustrates the law of social development. Finally, based on China's reality, the thesis found the significance of Marx's theory that in building a harmonious society. And focus on the inherent fit of civil society and the harmonious society then raises corresponding measures.Marx's theory of civil society, after all, is the product of western countries. It required us that when we use this theory, we must combine it with China's national conditions, treat it with development and innovation vision.