Abstract

Citizenship has long been a heavily disputed topic, with the question «Who is the citizen?» generating much controversy both in academia and society at large. In her latest book, "Cittadini e no" (Firenze University Press, 2014), Patricia Mindus attempts to bring some much needed conceptual clarity to the debate. Having discerned three figures of the citizen which feature in the contemporary debate, the author proposes a general theory of citizenship, based upon Aristotle's treatment of citizenship in Book III of his Politics. This review briefly outlines the main characteristics of the proposed functional theory of citizenship and concludes with a critical comment regarding one of the arguments that Mindus advances.