ABSTRACT
Civil society can be broadly defined as the outcome of social self-organisation (Frentzel-Zagorska 1990: 759). For a society to be self-organised, it must be relatively independent of the state. Citizens’ participation in civil society is voluntary rather than coerced by authorities. Although civil society is usually characterised by the presence of non-governmental organisations (NGOs), such organisations are not its only constituent. Informal and virtual networks of civic participation that develop under authoritarian regimes due to restrictions on the establishment of NGOs, or in information societies due to low organisational costs, should also be regarded as important parts of civil society. Therefore, civil society can be understood as a social space in which citizens can interact, communicate and organise collective actions in pursuit of the public good. Some scholars have maintained that regardless of organisational form, the essence of civil society is the celebration of the fundamental rationality of individuals and the priority of individuals over the society (Madsen 1996). Civil society is a sphere in which citizens are empowered to prevent the state from encroaching on personal liberty. According to this “liberal” definition, individualism is the cultural basis of civil society.
