As a political philosopher, Kant belongs to the modern world and the Age of Enlightenment. Ancient political philosophy was often oriented to the community in a broad sense. The state — its laws, authority, and political rule — were seen as tools for sustaining a sense of community, educating the citizens in virtuous behavior, cultivating a shared tradition and sense of values. Such a conception is not unknown in the modern world, of course. It had some appeal to Rousseau, appealed even more to the German Romantics, and (though in a spirit more modern than Romantic) it underlies Hegel's concept of the state as the rational expression of ethical life. Utilitarian political theories can also take this form. For many moderns, however — including Kant — the political state is viewed chiefly, even exclusively, as a coercive institution whose sole ultimate aim is maintaining the peace and security of a population, and protecting the rights of citizens.