This chapter explores the concept of civility as the pivotal link between culture and politics in Western thought. Its thesis is that culture is upstream from politics: political possibilities are constrained by pre-existing cultural norms and patterns of behaviour. Drawing on works by Shils, Carter, Bejan, and Thomas, it is based on an understanding of political philosophy which takes politics as social interaction made possible by sociability. Civility is the virtue of sociability, presented here as an internalized set of constraints on public behaviour, rooted both in self-understanding and communal integrity. Civility defines acceptable conduct even in conflict, extending beyond mere politeness, which is there to uphold refinement and mutual recognition within the civic community. Starting out from a Central European experiential horizon, the analysis employs a hermeneutic approach combining internal (practical, embodied) and external (objective, neutral) viewpoints, inspired—among others—by Hart, Oakeshott, and Wittgenstein. Its aim is to illuminate civility’s role in politics, showing the extent to which cultural roots are essential for a healthy political practice.