Question

How best is the word "confounded" defined as used in the sentence from our text? "Some writers have so confounded society with government, as to leave little or no distinction between them; whereas they are not only different, but have different origins."

Answer 1

confounded in this context means combined

The sentence is saying that writers have basically made society and government the same thing, they've "confounded" them to the  point where there is no difference. In reality, for contrast, the sentence is saying that they are very different things.