First wordTHERE is a familiar saying that 'curiosity killed the cat.'Its meaning, says the American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms, is this: 'It's best to mind one's business.' This cautionary expression is like the moral of some fable or folktale, but any such origin has been lost. The first recorded use of it was in O. Henry's short story 'Schools and Schools' (1909).I can report here about my probe of the concept of the public in politics and political science, which followed after I read Walter Lippmann's contention that the public is a phantom and a mere abstraction.My research has taken me deep into the complexities of sociology and the works of the German sociologist Jürgen Habermas and his theory of the public sphere.Within sociology, public and private spheres are thought of as two distinct realms in which people operate on a daily basis.The concept of distinct public and private spheres can be traced back to the ancient Greeks, who defined the public as the political realm where the direction of society and its rules and laws were debated and decided upon. The private sphere was defined as the realm of the family. However, how we define this distinction within sociology has changed over time.Sociologists' definition of the public and private spheres is largely a result of the work of Jürgen Habermas, the German philosopher and social theorist and a member of the Frankfurt School of thought in sociology and critical philosophy. His 1962 book, 'The Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere,' is considered the key text on the subject.Public sphereAccording to Habermas, the public sphere, as a place where the free exchange of ideas and debate happens, is the cornerstone of democracy. It is, he wrote, 'made up of private people gathered together as a public and articulating the needs of society with the state.' From this public sphere grows a 'public authority' that dictates the values, ideals and goals of a given society. The will of the people is expressed within it and emerges out of it. As such, a public sphere must have no regard for the social status of the participants, be focused on common concerns, and be inclusive — all can participate.Private sphereOn the flip side, the private sphere is the realm of family and home life that is, in theory, free of the influence of government and other social institutions. In this realm, one's responsibility is to oneself and the other members of one's household, and work and exchange can take place within the home in a way that is separate from the economy of the greater society. However, the boundary between the public and private spheres is not fixed; instead, it is flexible and permeable and is always fluctuating and evolving.Who is Jürgen Habermas?Jürgen Habermas, according to a long note on Wikipedia, born on June 18, 1929, is a German philosopher and social theorist in the tradition of critical theory and pragmatism.Associated with the Frankfurt School, Habermas' work focuses on the foundations of epistemology and social theory, the analysis of advanced capitalism and democracy, the rule of law in a critical social-evolutionary context, albeit within the confines of the natural law tradition, and contemporary politics.In 'The Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere,' Habermas argues that prior to the 18th century, European culture had been dominated by a 'representational' culture, where one party sought to 'represent' itself to its audience by overwhelming its subjects. As an example of 'representational' culture, Habermas argued that Louis XIV's Palace of Versailles was meant to show the greatness of the French state and its King by overpowering the senses of visitors to the palace.The concept of the public realm is the most fundamental of all political concepts because it is only the shared relationship it constitutes between rulers and ruled that makes government more than mere domination. It is, therefore, not surprising that the question of how the public realm is to be defined has been a central concern of political thinkers from Plato to more recent philosophers like Hannah Arendt.Nation of many publicsMankind must get used to the idea of a nation or society of many publics.We normally speak of 'the public' and 'general public' as one and the same. But in fact, we are exposed daily to the reality of diverse publics in our national life.In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individuals, and the public (aka the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept from the sociological concept of the Öffentlichkeit, or public sphere. The concept of a public has also been defined in political science, psychology, marketing and advertising.The term 'public' originated with the Latin publicus (also poplicus) and the English word 'populace,' and in general, denotes some mass population ('the people') in association with some matter of common interest. So, in political science and history, a public is a population of individuals in association with civic affairs, or affairs of office or state. In social psychology, marketing and public relations, a public is a group of people who, in facing a similar problem, recognize it and organize themselves to address it.Public affairs and public relationsFinally, we must take note of public affairs and public relations, which are very big in the lives of business organizations.Public affairs and public relations both involve interacting with the public. Public affairs deals with matters directly affecting the public, such as legislation or public administration. On the other hand, public relations acts as a bridge between an organization and the public. Public affairs typically align with noncorporate entities like government agencies or nonprofits, while public relations is commonly associated with the business sector.Public affairs professionals are the bridge builders, responsible for managing issues, reputation, advocacy and policy, and engaging with media, government and civil society. They possess diverse skills, including negotiation, leadership, analytical thinking, time management, strong communication, and technical abilities.To sum up, my research into the concept of the public has led first to bewilderment about the vastness of the idea of the public and then to enlightenment about its significance in political science and the science of business management. This cat, I am happy to say, survived his curiosity.yenobserver@gmail.com
