This volume investigates how the conceptualization of the individual evolved within the political and social frameworks of Western Europe from the 13th to the 18th centuries. Janet Coleman and a team of distinguished scholars analyze the transition from medieval corporate identities to the emergence of the autonomous political subject. By examining the interplay between religious institutions, feudal structures, and the rise of the centralized state, the authors argue that individual identity was fundamentally reshaped by shifting economic and political realities.

Scholars and historians frequently cite this work as a rigorous, multi-disciplinary examination of the intellectual history of the state. The text is noted for its academic density and its comprehensive approach to the complex evolution of Western political thought.