The concept of civil society in the Arab context

Abstract

This article seeks to trace the trajectory of the concept of civil society in the West and its subsequent transfer to the Arab context. During this process of transfer, the challenge emerged of adapting the concept to a reality that differs in both its structure and historical path. The article examines attempts to ground the notion of civil society—particularly by conservative currents—through a return to principles and ideas drawn from the Arab-Islamic heritage, in contrast to modernist currents that strive to preserve the concept in its Western form as a means of affirming modernity within Arab societies. The article also revisits the traditional issue of the relationship between civil society and the state, rearticulating it in the Arab context by tracing the views of several Arab thinkers. These views converge on the notion that the state is as essential to civil society as civil society is to the state—yet without domination or authoritarianism. The vitality and effectiveness of civil society, it is argued, depend on creating genuine opportunities for partnership between civil society and the state.