# Civil Society

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/books/civil-society/
- Published: 2013-12-04T12:40:00+00:00
- Author: Howard Lake

**What is civil society? Where did the idea come from, why does it matter, and can
it still deliver on its promises in an age of rising authoritarianism, democratic
backsliding, and collapsing public trust? Now in its fourth edition, Michael Edwards’s
compact and authoritative guide has become the standard reference for anyone who
wants to understand the terrain on which charities, voluntary organisations, and
social movements operate.**

Few concepts in modern politics and public life are deployed more frequently, or
more vaguely, than ‘civil society’. Politicians across the spectrum invoke it; academics
have built entire research programmes around it; funders use it to describe everything
from neighbourhood associations to global advocacy networks. Yet it remains persistently
ill-defined, and the assumptions behind its use are rarely examined.

Michael Edwards set out to change that, and _Civil Society_, now in its fourth edition
and continuously updated since its first publication in 2004, has become the essential
guide to what the concept actually means and what it can and cannot do.

## Synthesis of three schools of thought required

Edwards traces three distinct schools of thought about civil society.

The first understands it as associational life, the vast, diverse ecosystem of voluntary
organisations, clubs, charities, and community groups that exists between the state
and the market.

 * [**Buy the book now**](https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1509537341?tag=219)

The second understands it as the good society, a vision of the kind of world that
voluntary action is trying to build, rooted in ideals of equity, justice, and human
flourishing.

The third understands it as the public sphere, the arena of deliberation, debate,
and dissent through which democratic societies reason together.

None of these, Edwards argues, is sufficient on its own; **only a synthesis of all
three** offers a framework adequate to the complexity of real civic life.

## Fully updated

This fourth edition is fully updated to address the urgent challenges of the present
moment: the rise of authoritarianism and populism; the digital transformation of
civic space; the growing overlap between civil society and the market in the form
of social enterprise and venture philanthropy; and the scandals and crises of trust
that have buffeted the charity sector in recent years. Edwards is clear-eyed about
what civil society can realistically achieve — and what it cannot substitute for:
principled, effective government and structural economic change.

For UK charity leaders, fundraisers, and anyone working in or around the voluntary
sector, _Civil Society_ provides the intellectual scaffolding that makes sense of
the world they inhabit. Why does the sector exist? What are its distinctive strengths
and characteristic weaknesses? What is its relationship to the state, the market,
and democratic life? This slim, lucid, and rigorously argued book answers those 
questions better than anything else in print.

## **About Michael Edwards**

Michael Edwards is a writer and activist based in upstate New York, and editor of
_Transformation_ at openDemocracy. He spent many years as a senior official at the
World Bank and the Ford Foundation, working on civil society and international development,
before leaving institutional life to write and advocate independently. His other
books include _Small Change: Why Business Won’t Save the World_ and _Future Positive:
International Co-operation in the 21st Century_. He maintains a website at [futurepositive.org](http://futurepositive.org).

## **Reviews**

> “All over the world, political systems are paralysed by incompetence, polarisation,
> and authoritarianism. Can voluntary organisations, engaged citizens, and intermediate
> associations rescue democratic participation and oversight? Michael Edwards’s 
> book provides essential guidelines for understanding the revitalising possibilities
> of civil society.” 
> **John Ehrenberg, Long Island University**

> “This significantly updated edition provides an authoritative account of the contemporary
> complex relevance of civil society for the future of participatory democracy. 
> Lucidly conceptualised and fluently written, this is required reading for twenty-
> first-century citizens of conscience.” 
> **Richard Falk, University of California,
> Santa Barbara; former UN Special Rapporteur**

> “Essential reading for understanding the idea of civil society.” 
> _**Voluntas**_

> “Drawing insights from history, philosophy, economics, and politics, Edwards peels
> back the layers of logic, assumption, and fact to offer a clear-eyed assessment
> of civil society’s contribution to society at large.” 
> _**Democracy & Society**_

> “This ambitious and compact book provides a very useful summary of the ongoing
> civil society debate and will appeal to a broad audience motivated to contribute
> in some way or another to positive social change.” 
> _**Development and Change**_

## Related books on UK Fundraising

 * _Diminished Democracy_ (Skocpol) for a detailed empirical account of how civic
   associational life has weakened in practice
 * _[Public Good by Private Means](https://fundraising.co.uk/books/public-good-private-means/)_(
   Davies) for the specifically British dimension of civil society and philanthropy
 * _Voluntary Organisations and Social Policy in Britain_ (Harris & Rochester) for
   the policy context
 * _Seeing Like a State_ (Scott) for a compatible analysis of institutional blindness
   to civic complexity.

## ⏎ Editions

There have been our editions in print since 2004 – 2004, 2011, 2014 and 2019.