A society’s civility has a racial and perceptual character distinct from its specific civilities.
Evidence
It may be useful here to distinguish between civility as such and civilities. Civility is the overarching sensibility of the prevailing social order, its modes of perception and deception, interaction and representation. It is what gives the society its “personality,” its “character,” even its “color.” Civilities are the particular expressions of social interaction affirmed as socially appealing, as valorized, which include forms of objection and social movements of resistance to civility. In this, the distinction is not unlike the Aristotelian one between virtue and the (particular) virtues socialized. — David Theo Goldberg, The Threat of Race, 233
Categorization
- DEFINE: Introduces the civility/civilities dichotomy, a recurring conceptual tool across the book.
- XREF: connects to: Modern civility is racially structured at its foundations; Civility is the society-level sensibility while civilities are local expressions — David Theo Goldberg, The Threat of Race: Reflections on…, 233; Civil society is a racially inscribed accommodation to social domination — David Theo Goldberg, The Threat of Race: Reflections on…, 231 (+1 more)
Broader Connections
- Modern civility is racially structured at its foundations
#corroborates(0.85) - Civility is the society-level sensibility while civilities are local expressions
#expands(0.80) — David Theo Goldberg, The Threat of Race, 233 - Civil society is a racially inscribed accommodation to social domination
#corroborates(0.78) — David Theo Goldberg, The Threat of Race, 231 - A set of individuals can be society to varying degrees.
#complicates(0.70) — Georg Simmel, on individuality and social forms_…, 51