is it the laws? or is it the people in the society?
if the latter is the case, then would we even need laws to begin with? meaning regardless of the laws, we would still be a civil society. given laws would be set up in such a way that they would be meaningless. let's just say a law was enacted, jaywalking, well no one has ever jaywalked before, but now we have a law that says we can't. well, what do we need that law for? no one did it in the first place.
if it is the laws, then people would act civil within those laws. be restricted within the laws.
let's take us (the u.s.) for example. don't we believe to have civil laws? that these laws have built a civil society? that ours are just laws (sure, there may be some problems, but for the most part). for us there is a law against jaywalking. we jaywalk all over the place. however this law is in place so we don't get killed. so we cross where and when we should do so.
well...according to human nature (and i take more of an hobbesian stand point), we need these laws to be civil. 'covenants without the sword are but words, and of no strength to secure a man at all.' but are we?
my answer is...no.
people left to their own devices are not civil. our sword has gotten weak.
within this past week; how many fights, oh i'm sorry, riots have broken out in cleveland public schools? and then the kids are set home to their parents. i believe that one parent didn't even come and pick up their kid. these are riots, not the undeniable food fight. a riot.
so the question remains...are we a civil society?
a society is only as good as its laws.
[shalom...]
4.2.08
what makes a 'civil' society 'civil'?
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2 comments:
What makes a civil society is the society is not religious or military based. It's run by citizens/civilians. Civil as in "politeness" or "civility" aren't dictated by laws. You can follow the letter of the law and still be an utter bastard. Laws do serve to curb extreme uncivil behavior, but there's a lot of nastiness and rudeness you can do before it becomes criminal There are a wide variety or rules (not laws) out there that are broken everyday. Generally this is held to be a good thing because rules (or even social mores) are held to be constrictive to an individual's freedom and "right" to individuality. A lot of incivility and lack of politeness is society today is due to a sense of entitlement. People have the idea that "they can't tell me what to do." Which they in turn use as an excuse for all kinds of impolite, uncivil, and even unlawful behavior.
I am still trying to decide what you are asking. If you mean by being civil each individual would treat everyone else how they want to be treated than no we are not a civil society. Wa has it right that most behavior is not dictated by law. Most behavior is dictated by how you are raised and the values you are instilled with as a child. Laws have nothing to do with this. Laws are meant to create a set of rules that ensure a minimum level of behavior that benefits society as a whole. I do agree with your last sentence that a society is only as good as its laws. That presumes that society made the laws and not a few individuals though.
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