This page explains a conceptual relation between two poles within Shahrur’s thought, and how this relation functions in the construction of meaning.
Within a Broader Family
This relation falls within the conception of the civil state as a state of law and citizenship, not of prohibition. Its witness highlights a specific aspect, while the family brings together pluralism, freedom of opinion, obedience to the law, and the separation of powers.
The Meaning of the Relation
This relation indicates that the civil state does not derive its order from the will of individuals or persons, but from everyone’s commitment to the law and compliance with it. Here, the law is the reference that organizes public conduct and regulates the relationship between authority and society, so that obedience is directed toward the legal norm rather than personal influence.
The Two Sides of the Relation
- The first side: the civil state
- The relation: is based on
- The second side: obedience to the law
Evidence
- The State and Society via The Civil State Is Based on Obedience to the Law
- Witness: The passage links the civil state with pluralism, separation of powers, and obedience to the law rather than to persons
Its Effect in the Knowledge Map
This relation gains its importance because it places the civil state within a broader conception based on pluralism, separation of powers, and the rule of law. It connects the idea of the modern state with the principle of constraining power by law, which helps in understanding the civil state as an institutional structure that does not rest on persons, but on general rules that preserve order and prevent despotism.