The concept of "citizen" entered everyday life in Russia after 1917, replacing the old-mode "sir" and "lord". It sounded fresh and patriotic and reflected the main revolutionary achievement - social equality. Most often, this impersonal treatment was used in relation to all strangers. However, between the words "man" and "citizen" there is a semantic difference, which is enshrined in the current legislation.
For the concept of "man" there are many definitions: from the poetic "crown of creation" to a purely scientific "biological individual." However, most points of view agree on two main points. Firstly, people are part of nature, and secondly, they are an element of society.
By its biological essence, man is a living creature, the most developed representative of the class of mammals. From other animals it is distinguished by the presence of abstract thinking, articulate speech, the ability to develop intellectually and physically.
At the same time, in addition to a set of physiological traits that determine gender and race, each individual has specific psychological qualities. They make up a person’s personality. Its main qualities are formed gradually. The development of the personality is influenced by the social situation in which the person is located, his immediate environment (family, colleagues, friends, etc.), various socio-cultural contacts and ideas learned in the process of communication of people.
In other words, we can say that man is a reasonable representative of the animal world, leading an active social life. This concept is broader than "individual", "personality" and "citizen". The first characterizes only the natural side of people, the second - only the social.
The term “citizen” in legal theory means a person who knows his rights and obligations, knows how to use them for his own good and without harm to others. It is necessarily associated with a state-defined system of legal norms.
Constantly residing in the territory of a country, a person, subject to certain conditions, can obtain local citizenship. The presence of a state passport gives a citizen a special legal status in comparison with stateless persons and foreign nationals residing in the same state. The benefits extend to voting rights, property and social benefits, state protection of a person, etc.
The concept of "citizen" is also considered in the framework of philosophical movements. In this sense, a person appears as a free and equal member of society. The emphasis is on the conscious and responsible behavior of the citizen. Regardless of whether he has an official document on citizenship, a person must perform reasonable acts, act within the framework of the laws of the country in which he lives, and contribute to improving the social and political structure of society.
Thus, we can conclude that there is definitely a connection between the words “man” and “citizen”. Only a person can be a citizen, i.e. living creature with intelligence and psychological qualities. But not always people become citizens, i.e. legal units of a state.
