{Rosmini Pelican}

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Section One - Theory Of Civil Society
Part Four

Occasional And Efficient Causes Of Civil Society

Introduction

Chapter 1.

Need is the general stimulus moving people to establish civil society

Chapter 2.

Necessity of civil society for the progressive development of mankind

Chapter 3.

The steps by which civil society comes into being

Article 1.

Summary

Article 2.

Gradual formation and growth of civil society

§1.

The right of war and peace is anterior to civil societies

§2.

The need of external defence for families is the only efficacious stimulus for the formation of civil societies

§3.

The circumstances which manifest a permanent need for external defence of families

A.

Conquests

B.

Accidental hostilities between families

I.

The period in which civil societies are still unformed, but temporary civil establishments are founded

II.

The period in which civil societies tend to establish themselves but have still not reached unity of governmental power

III.

The period in which civil societies are still only partly formed because they lack the institution of some essential power

Article 3.

Considerations on the transition periods between domestic and civil society

§1.

Importance of historical facts in this period

§2.

Civil society passes to complete formation through a series of formless states

§3.

The chief obstacle to the full formation of civil society is family selfishness

§4.

A reflection on the way France should act to lead the Arabs of Algeria to civilisation

§5.

A reflection on the way used by Providence to form modern civil societies in Europe

A.

Theory

B.

History

I.

The first clash between the family element, which was the attacker, during the barbarian invasions, and the civil element, which was attacked

II.

Causes that revived and re-ordered the civil element after its first defeat following the assault by the family element

III.

The struggle between family and civil element was carried into the heart of renewed, mature civil societies and caused the rise of sovereign houses and modern nations

IV.

Summary of the stages through which civil society took the more perfect form it shows in our present European nations

V.

The internal struggle to produce perfect civil society in nations already founded

Chapter 4.

The final form to which modern civil societies tend

Article 1.

The ideal of civil society

Article 2.

In the movement of 1789, the SOCIAL ELEMENT attempted to destroy the SEIGNIORIAL ELEMENT

Article 3.

The confused ideas of authors at the time of the French revolution

Article 4.

The imperfect mediation between the family and the seigniorial elements

Article 5.

How complete mediation between family and civil elements will be achieved

Article 6.

Harm caused by freedom of the press; just ways of avoiding it

Article 7.

Conclusion, concerning the SUBSTANTIAL POWER now being formed and destined to lead civil societies to their ideal

Chapter 5.

How civil society gradually regulates modality of rights ever more extensively

Article 1.

Epilogue — The first step forward in civil society: it limits itself to Regulating modality of rights

Article 2.

Second step forward of civil society: government is extended to the whole sphere of the modality of rights

Article 3.

Description of the sphere of complete regulation of modality of rights

§1.

First function of civil government: protection of all the rights of the members and of the free exercise of their rights

§2.

Second function of civil government: deciding and settling disputes

§3.

Third function of civil government: to regulate the exercise of private rights in such a way that they pose the least possible hindrance to others' freedom

§4.

Fourth function: to amalgamate private rights when a common evil has to be avoided, or an opportunity arises to procure a common good

A.

First dynamic: organising the government of society

B.

Second dynamic: administering the goods of society

C.

Third dynamic: the imposition of taxes or social contribution

D.

Fourth dynamic: the undertaking of certain enterprises for the common good

E.

Fifth dynamic: the stimulation of moral, intellectual and industrial progress by means of rewards for free concurrence

Article 4.

Conclusion

 

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