本文旨在探討法國大革命期間，法國公民定義從抽象轉為具備具體權利義務過程中，所產生的身分定義問題，尤其關注法國國家公民權確立的過程中，自視為「世界公民」的旅法英國政治激進人士在「公民」身分認定上與法國官方產生之摩擦和歧見。法國大革命期間法國政府對於公民權的界定，積極從制度上去定義「公民」與「外人」，然而在這段期間旅法的英國激進人士，自視為「世界公民」，對於公民的解釋依舊是哲學性的解釋，具道德的概念，與法國政府的法定概念不同。1792年底以後，法國立法嚴格界定並敵視「外人」，並從政治立場和國籍上清楚定義「公民權」，導致旅法英國激進人士因為「公民」認知上和法國政府不同，在身分定位上面臨認知衝突。因此，法國大革命時期英國旅法激進人士的身分困境，主要在於英國激進分子的古典式公民觀和法國的現代公民權內容大相逕庭，也錯將法國共和政府的博愛精神與世界主義一再劃上等號。本文也對於當前幾份關於法國近代公民權變化之研究提出質疑，在公民定義的轉變過程中，即使法國政府法令表現出現代國籍和公民概念，但是實際上社會的變動還未跟上法律的腳步，故此時期的身分認同依舊是具高度流動性及雙重性的價值觀。

This article examines the identity problems of politically radical British expatriates in France, who viewed themselves as ＂citizens of the world＂ while the concept of modern ＂citizenship＂ was being established during the French Revolution. The main body of this article comprises seven parts: Parts one and part two focus on the conflict between the concepts of ＂citizens of the world＂ and modern ＂citizenship.＂ Parts three and four respectively discuss the definition of modern citizenship during the early phase of the French Revolution and the definition of citizenship by British radicals. The new French regime translated abstract principles of citizenship into concrete prescriptions; that is, the French government created a documented citizenship with nationality and political rights- while British radical expatriates in France still defined citizenship in the way it had been viewed in classical philosophy; that is to say, ＂citizens＂ implied good and virtuous people. As the French Republic went to war against the first coalition, the revolutionary government made extensive legislative proscriptions against foreigners and defined citizenship on political grounds. Parts five and six therefore explore the definition of ＂citizens＂ used by the French government during the Terror and the experiences of British radical expatriates in France. This reveals the problems the British expatriates faced during this period. In part seven, the article concludes that the main identity problem that British expatriates suffered during the French Revolution stemmed from the fundamental conflict between their classical view of the concept of citizenship and modern ＂citizenship＂ as defined concretely by the French government. They repeatedly mistakenly equated their ＂cosmopolitanism＂ with the French ＂fraternity.＂ Most importantly, this article also argues that current research on French modern citizenship tends to simplify the fluid and problematic issues of identity and belonging that emerged during the French Revolution as well as a complex cultural shift from the High Enlightenment to the rise of European states in the revolutionary age.