ABSTRACT
Civil society is a classical notion of European political philosophy, which traces back to Aristotle's concept of politike koinonia and literally translates as civic association or civic community. Civil society is based on the logic of the gift and the reciprocities it evokes. In particular, the principle of voluntary association is supported by the gift. Focusing on philanthropy also helps to shed light on the historicity of gift relationships and to understand various forms of possible institutionalization of the gift. Associations are arranged horizontally and aim at the principle of non-hierarchical self-government. Unlike Marx, who was particularly interested in class formation and social inequality in civil society, de Tocqueville was concerned with the issue of how democracy could be stabilized as a modern form of government and life. Civility is the institutional, cognitive, affective, and normative answer to that unavoidable fact of modernity namely, pluralism and individualism.
