--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: By giving full expression to the…" description: "\"“By giving full expression to the contradiction between civil society and the state, the French Revolution radically transformed both its terms. To put..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/656/stathis-kouvelakis-86047_civil-society_by-giving-full-expression-to-the-contrad_2407462.jpg" --- # By giving full expression to the contradiction between… ![“By giving full expression to the contradiction between civil society and the state, the French Revolution radically transformed both its terms. To put it differently: dualism was not abolished but, rather, displaced within the space delimited by the two poles of the contradiction. This created a…” quote by Stathis Kouvelakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/656/stathis-kouvelakis-86047_civil-society_by-giving-full-expression-to-the-contrad_2407462.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/656/stathis-kouvelakis-86047_civil-society_by-giving-full-expression-to-the-contrad_2407462.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/656/stathis-kouvelakis-86047_civil-society_by-giving-full-expression-to-the-contrad_2407462.jpg) > ““By giving full expression to the contradiction between civil society and the state, the French Revolution radically transformed both its terms. To put it differently: dualism was not abolished but, rather, displaced within the space delimited by the two poles of the contradiction. This created a new split between 'man', a member of civil society, and the 'citizen', a member of the state. It is only by 'abstracting' from his condition as man and his insertion into the organization of civil society that the political subject can become a citizen and make his entry into the political community: it is only as a 'sheer, blank individual' who accepts the fact that the political is divorced from the social that he can take part in the life of the state, which is based on the freedom and equality of its citizens. (...) The political state is 'abstract' in the sense suggested by the etymology of the word; it appears as the residue or the 'precipitate' of the constitutive movement by means of which civil society transcends its own limits to attain political existence, while leaving its internal differences intact, or, rather, transforming them into mere 'differences of social life' 'without significance in political life'. The state is incapable of substantially affecting the contents of civil society, for it is, precisely, a product of civil society's abstraction from itself.”” Stathis Kouvelakis ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The text argues that the French Revolution created a split between “man” and “citizen,” making political identity an abstract, neutral individual detached from social ties. **In simple terms:** Revolution turned people into abstract citizens, separating personal identity from politics. Key Takeaway Recognize how political systems can erase personal context. Themes political theory revolution identity abstraction Mood critical analytical Type theoretical philosophical When to use this quote - political analysis - academic lecture - policy debate - civic education - social movements Key Concepts citizenship civil society state power social contract Questions to Reflect On - How does abstract citizenship affect marginalized groups? - Can personal identity be reclaimed in politics? A Different Perspective The abstraction can ignore lived experiences and inequality. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Civil society](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civil-society/) [Freedom and equality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom-and-equality/) [French revolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/french-revolution/) [Marxism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marxism/) [Revolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/revolution/) ## Related quotes > [I'm a big fan of the vigor of civil society, political engagement, and public life in many parts of Latin America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-solnit/i-m-a-big-fan-of-the-vigor-of-civil-society-political-engagement-and/) [Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/) > [Those who directed the state in the time of Solon and Cleisthenes did not establish a polity which ... trained the citizens in such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isocrates/those-who-directed-the-state-in-the-time-of-solon-and-cleisthenes-did/) [Isocrates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isocrates/) > [The political core of any movement for freedom in the society has to have the political imperative to protect free speech.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/the-political-core-of-any-movement-for-freedom-in-the-society-has-to/) [Bell Hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) > [Life itself, however, flows and is sequential and punishes those who try to compartmentalize it. 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