Frederick Douglass has been characterized as a proponent of both individualism and government intervention. But what was his conception of civil society? How did he understand the important function of voluntary associations and intermediary institutions in providing Americans, both black and white, with a sense of meaning, belonging, and purpose? And what can his insights teach us today about the role of civil society in an age of political polarization and social fragmentation?

Gregory Collins is Lecturer in the Department of Political Science and Program on Ethics, Politics, and Economics at Yale University.

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