Parallel Polis

Key takeaways

Parallel Polis belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Parallel Polis to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Parallel Polis from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Parallel Polis is a socio-political concept created by Czech political thinker and dissident Václav Benda in connection with the informal civic initiative, Charter 77. Benda and other philosophers sought to build a theoretical framework for social events in dissident circles.

Social structure The alternative culture, or underground, was described in Parallel Polis in 1978 for the first time. A political scientist, Benda noticed the emergence of a new social structure in artistic and intellectual circles as a tool to escape the totalitarian communist regime and detected the following pillars of the new "field":

Constant monitoring and verification of civic rights and freedoms, which the state tends to restrict. Parallel Polis consists of people who actively advocate for (and protect) their rights. "Alternative" (underground) culture is independent, and consists of art which is developed without the permission—or support—of public authorities. Parallel education and science, representing the right to free education and the development of scientific research (residential seminars and educational societies and academies) A parallel information system as an expression of the right to the free dissemination of information (such as samizdat publishing and unofficial magazines and collections) Parallel economy: "Political power considers this area as a critical resource for arbitrary control of citizens and strictly regulates it at the same time". The economy of dissent was based on reciprocity and trust in the individual. It was the germ of a principle and the search for resources which are not dependent on the control of monetary tools. Creation of parallel political structures and the promotion of their development. The alternative political structures must be incubated in the Parallel Polis and develop into a form which can replace the ruling authoritarian regime. Parallel foreign policy must be an instrument of the parallel society for the international stabilization and grounding of the movement and the search for financial and mental resources. These patterns of the parallel structure are not a closed set; on the contrary, they occur on all fronts of the resistance against the authoritarian state. The aim of the Parallel Polis, according to Václav Havel, Ivan Martin Jirous, Milan Šimečky and other dissidents who discussed the concept, should be an independent society not oppressed by laws and decisions of representatives of public authorities—a society based on its own values, which are not forced by the central authorities.

Use in cryptoanarchism

The concept has been revived by scholars who met at the University of Washington and now work at other academic institutions. They posit that Benda's idea is being practiced on the Internet, which facilitates parallel institutions. In 2014, a physical space inspired by the idea opened in Prague's Holešovice district. Since then, individuals inspired by the idea have started a similar physical space in Bratislava, and further physical spaces are expected to open in Vienna and Barcelona. The venue serves as a think tank for individuals interested in ideas of innovation without a central authority. The goal is building parallel structures on a voluntary basis with an effort to remain state-free. The venues also operate as cafes that only accept cryptocurrency payments. The space gained media attention for acts of political activism, such as a boycott of Electronic record of sales in Czech Republic after it was put into effect, or after receiving a statement from the Czech National Bank prohibiting the use of the word "coin" for a symbolic metal coin connected to a virtual Bitcoin.

See also Civil society Government in exile Prefigurative politics Shadow Cabinet

References

Further reading "Václav Havel's Lessons on How to Create a "Parallel Polis"". The New Yorker. 2017-02-08. Retrieved 2017-07-26. BENDA, VÁCLAV; ŠIMEČKA, MILAN; JIROUS, IVAN M.; DIENSTBIER, JIŘÍ; HAVEL, VÁCLAV; HEJDÁNEK, LADISLAV; ŠIMSA, JAN; Wilson, Paul (1988). "Parallel Polis, or An Independent Society in Central and Eastern Europe: An Inquiry". Social Research. 55 (1/2): 211–246. JSTOR 40970497. Logos, Taso G.; Coopman, Ted M.; Tomhave, Jonathan (2013). "Parallel Polis: Toward a theoretical framework of the modern public sphere and the structural advantages of the internet to foster and maintain parallel social and political institutions". New Media and Society. 16 (3).

External links Paralelni Polis website 2026 Parallel Polis translation by Mark Qvist

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Parallel Polis

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Parallel Polis claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Parallel Polis before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Parallel Polis ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Parallel Polis

In research: Parallel Polis appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Parallel Polis in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Parallel Polis is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Sociological theories, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Parallel Polis outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

How to study Parallel Polis in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Parallel Polis means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Parallel Polis out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Parallel Polis in simple terms?

Parallel Polis is a socio-political concept created by Czech political thinker and dissident Václav Benda in connection with the informal civic initiative, Charter 77. Benda and other philosophers sought to build a theoretical framework for social events in dissident circles.

Why does Parallel Polis matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Parallel Polis?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Parallel Polis.