People 3488351 216116751 2008-05-31T03:58:14Z The Transhumanist 1754504 add see also section <noinclude>{{pp-semi-protected|small=yes}}</noinclude> {{dablink|For other uses of this term, see [[People (disambiguation)]]}} [[Image:Batsheva theater crowd in Tel Aviv by David Shankbone.jpg|300px|thumb|People in a theater]] '''People''' denotes a group of [[human]]s, either with unspecified traits, or specific characteristics (e.g. the people of [[Spain]] or the people of the Plains). The term ''people'' is often used in [[English language|English]] as the [[Suppletion|suppletive]] [[plural]] of ''[[person]]''. However, the word ''persons'' is sometimes used in place of ''people'', especially when it would be ambiguous with its collective sense (e.g. ''[[missing person]]s'' instead of ''missing people''). The term ''people'' can collectively refer to all [[human]]s or it can be used to identify the [[citizens]] of a [[nation]], or members of a [[tribe]], [[ethnic]], or [[religious]] group. For example, "[[people of color]]" is a phrase used in North America to describe non-whites.<ref>Safire, William. "On language: People of color" ''The New York Times'', November 20, 1988. See also: "The Black Press at 150", editorial, ''The Washington Post'', March 18, 1977</ref> ==In philosophy and religion== The concept of [[person]]hood (who is a person within a society) is the fundamental component of any selective concept of people. A distinction is maintained in [[philosophy]] and [[law]] between the notions "human being", or "man", and "person". The former refers to the species, while the latter refers to a [[rational agent]] (see, for example, [[John Locke]]'s ''Essay concerning Human Understanding'' II 27 and [[Immanuel Kant]]'s ''Introduction to the Metaphysic of Morals''). Central issues of interest to people are the understanding of the [[human condition]] and the [[meaning of life]], and [[survival]]. [[Religion]], [[philosophy]], and [[science]] show or represent modes and aspects of inquiry which attempt to investigate and understand the nature, behavior, and [[purpose]] of people. [[Sociology]], [[economics]], and [[politics]] represent modes by which people investigate how to maximize a collective survival strategy. [[Islam]] recognizes the [[People of the Book]] as members of [[monotheism|monotheistic]] faiths founded upon [[revelation]] related to its own faith. By contrast, in [[Judaism]], the [[Jew]]s are often said to be the [[chosen people]], a concept modified by the [[Christianity|Christian]] doctrine of ''the Elect''. ==In politics== [[Image:Eugène Delacroix - La liberté guidant le peuple.jpg|right|thumb|250px|''[[Liberty Leading the People]]'' by [[Eugène Delacroix]]]] Various [[republic]]s govern, or claim to govern, in the name of ''the people''. Both the [[Roman Republic]] and the [[Roman Empire]] used the [[Latin]] term ''[[SPQR|Senatus Populusque Romanus]]'', (the Senate and People of Rome). This term was fixed to Roman legionary standards, and even after the [[Roman Emperor]]s achieved a state of total personal [[autarchy]], they continued to wield their power in the name of the Senate and People of Rome. A [[People's Republic]] is typically a [[Marxism|Marxist]] or [[Socialism|socialist]] [[one-party state]] that claims to govern on behalf of the people. [[Populism]] is another umbrella term for various political tendencies that claim to represent the people, usually with an implication that they serve the [[Common man|common people]] instead of the [[Elitism|elite]]. ==In law== {{further|[[Popular sovereignty]]}} In [[criminal law]], in certain jurisdictions, criminal prosecutions are brought in the name of ''the People''. Several U.S. states, including [[California]], [[Illinois]], and [[New York]], use this style.<ref>See, e.g., ''[[People v. Anderson|California v. Anderson]]'' 6 Cal. 3d 628; 493 P.2d 880; 100 Cal. Rptr. 152; 1972 Cal. LEXIS 154 (1972)</ref> Citations outside the jurisdictions in question usually substitute the name of the state for the words "the People" in the case captions.<ref>See generally, ''[[Bluebook|The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation]]'', rule 10.</ref> Four states &mdash; [[Massachusetts]], [[Virginia]], [[Pennsylvania]], and [[Kentucky]] &mdash; refer to themselves as ''the [[Commonwealth]]'' in case captions and legal process.<ref>See [[Commonwealth (United States)]]</ref> Other states, such as [[Indiana]], typically refer to themselves as ''the State'' in case captions and legal process. The political theory underlying this format is that criminal prosecutions are brought in the name of the [[sovereignty|sovereign]]; thus, in these [[U.S. states]], the "people" are judged to be the sovereign, even as in the [[United Kingdom]] and other dependencies of the [[British monarchy|British Crown]], criminal prosecutions are typically brought in the name of [[the Crown]]. "The people" identifies the entire body of the [[citizen]]s of a jurisdiction invested with political power or gathered for political purposes.<ref>''Black's Law Dictionary'', 5<sup>th</sup> ed., "People".</ref> == See also == * [[Lists of people]] * [[Person]] ==Footnotes== <references/> {{portal}} {{wiktionary|people}} <div class="infobox sisterproject"> <div style="float: left;">[[Image:Commons-logo.svg|50px|none|Commons logo]]</div> <div style="margin-left: 60px;">[[Wikimedia Commons]] has media related to: <div style="margin-left: 10px;">'''''[[Commons:Category:{{{1|People}}}|{{{1|People}}}]]'''''</div> </div> </div> [[Category:People| ]] [[ar:شعب]] [[be-x-old:Народ]] [[ca:Poble]] [[cv:Халăх]] [[da:Folkeslag]] [[de:Volk]] [[es:Pueblo (sociedad)]] [[eo:Popolo]] [[fr:Peuple]] [[fy:Folk]] [[fur:Popul]] [[id:Rakyat]] [[is:Fólk]] [[it:Popolo]] [[la:Populus]] [[ln:Ekólo]] [[nl:Volk]] [[ja:人々]] [[nn:Folkegruppe]] [[qu:Runa llaqta]] [[ru:Народ]] [[simple:People]] [[tl:Mga tao]] [[kab:Agdud]] [[vec:Pòpoło]] [[yi:פאלק]] [[zh:人民]]