Abstract:
Although the public–private distinction is a historical construction it has been deeply internalized and taken for granted in Western ways of thinking about society and politics. Therefore, we often apply it uncritically as a way to categorizing and coding non-Western societies. Doing so unreflectively may distort our observations as well as policies of state- and peacebuilding. I outline the history of the public-private distinction by emphasizing its role in state-formation processes. This distinction was essential to the formation of the state and society as distinct categories. Indeed, it was and is a pre-condition of the autonomy of the state.
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Peter Haldén, Fundamental but not eternal: The public-private distinction, from normative projects to cognitive grid in Western political thought. Small Wars & Insurgencies, Volume 24, Issue 2, 2013. Special Issue: Explaining Coordination and Breakdown in Complex Operations. DOI: 10.1080/09592318.2013.778020. Published online: 30 Apr 2013.
First posted 2013-05-04 06:13:49
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