Defense of Liberal Citizenship against Communitarian Citizenship: A Critique on Citizenship Concept

The book entitled, Citizenship Concept, defines the concept of citizenship as a model of liberal citizenship as a suitable model of the modern age, and criticizes its rival, i.e., Communitarian Citizenship. The book’s approach is largely philosophical. In this book, citizenship has been studied more as a theoretical concept rather than a socio-historical phenomenon. The most important argument of the book is: liberal citizenship, by recognizing equality, freedom and individuality, modern human relations with its society based on voluntary membership, civil, social, political and cultural rights, responsibilities (legal duties and moral obligations), and participation. In political and social affairs, it is thus the most appropriate way of regulating the political and social relations of mankind in the modern age, while Communitarian Citizenship, with an emphasis on the social status of individuals, elevates their collective identity to their individual rights. And thus becomes a totalitarian and oppressive political system. The author seems to have taken an abstract and optimistic attitude toward liberal citizenship, while he has confused congregational citizenship with the pattern of ruling the totalitarian regimes. Contrary to the notion of liberalism, society is prior to the individual, and people in the community get their own good, and there is no universal model for citizenship. Instead, it should have defended a local or native citizen.