The concept of "citizen" came into everyday use in Russia after 1917, replacing the old-regime "sir" and "master". It sounded fresh and patriotic and reflected the main revolutionary achievement - social equality. Most often, this impersonal appeal was used in relation to all strangers. However, there is a semantic difference between the words “person” and “citizen”, which is enshrined in the current legislation.
There are many definitions for the concept of “man”: 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 being, the most developed representative of the mammalian class. It is distinguished from other animals 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 constitute a person's personality. Its basic qualities are formed gradually. The development of personality is influenced by the social situation in which a person is, his immediate environment (family, colleagues, friends, etc.), various socio-cultural contacts and ideas assimilated in the process of communication between people.
In other words, we can say that a person 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 system of legal norms defined by the state.
Permanently residing in the territory of a country, a person, subject to certain conditions, can obtain local citizenship. Having a state passport gives a citizen a special legal status compared to stateless persons and foreign nationals living in the same state. The benefits extend to electoral rights, property and social benefits, state protection of a person, etc.
The concept of "citizen" is also considered within the framework of philosophical trends. 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 of citizenship, a person must perform reasonable deeds, act within the laws of the country in which he lives, and contribute to the improvement of the social and political structure of society.
Thus, it can be concluded that there is definitely a connection between the words "person" and "citizen". Only a person can be a citizen, i.e. a living being with intelligence and psychological qualities. But people do not always become citizens, i.e. legal units of a particular state.
