Reflections on the Problematic of Citizenship – An Odyssey from Premodernity to Postmodernity

Abstract

This article envisions the evolution of citizenship in the way in which premodernity, modernity and postmodernity have marked this complex reconfiguration process. Thus, starting from pinpointing which are the most eloquent ideas which these three periods of time underline, this paper aims at making a correlation of the resulting aspects with the idea of citizenship, emphasizing this way the theoretical evolution of the concept, exactly as it was highlighted by the salient elements of each of the approached segments of time. Intrinsically, premodernity is exponentially represented by the impact of both mythical precepts and religion, fact that changed with the advent of modernity, which switched directions and proposed reason as being fundamental to answering to the questions raised by the individual, reaching in the end postmodernity, which delimitates itself by the previously mentioned segments and promotes diversity, inclusion. Consequently, the paper tries to underline the notion of citizenship as it is seen from an evolutionary perspective, the concept being approached by constantly rallying it to the features which characterized premodernity, modernity and postmodernity, thus particularizing sui generis varieties of citizenship.