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What Makes the Public Sphere Distinct from the Private Sphere?

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What makes the public sphere distinct from the private sphere?

The public sphere concept was developed since the times of the Aristotle. He sees the public sphere as the social and political space in which citizens come together to discus the issues of public concerns to form civic opinions. However, this concept changed in time and nowadays is seen as the space “where free and equal citizens come together to share information, to debate, to discuss, or to deliberate on common concerns”.[1] Public sphere is made distinct from the private sphere through the existence of public opinion and the fact that is has developed the public use of reason. Through its constitutive elements such as the constitutional civil liberties the access at public information the existence of a free, plural, and independent media system not under the state control make the private sphere indeed peculiar. Also the existence of civil societies which organize and promote the citizen agenda makes the public sphere dissimilar. In order to make a clear distinction between what makes the public sphere distinct from the private sphere I will have a close look at how the principle developed from the feudal system until the democratic system nowadays. A close analysis at the philosophers’ theories and the principles which intervenes with public sphere is helpful. Also its characteristics will be outlined in order to draw a line between the public and the private sphere.

One characteristic and a product of the public sphere is the public opinion which makes this sphere distinct from the private one. This concept is crucial and political decision making. According to The World Bank this involves issues that are open and accessible to everyone, affairs related to the state, the government or social institutions and the opinion formed as a result of discussing about certain issues is the dominant

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