"Mastership has a twofold meaning. First it is opposed to slavery, in which sense a master means one to whom another is subject as a slave. In another sense, mastership is referred in a general way to any kind of subject; and in this sense even he who has the office of governing and directing free men can be called a master. In the state of innocence man could have been a master of men, not in the former, but in the latter sense . . .

A man is the master of a free subject by directing him either towards his proper welfare, or to the common
good. Such a mastership would have existed in the state of innocence between man and man, for two reasons. First,because man is naturally a social being, and so in the state of innocence he would have led a social life. Now a social lifecannot exist among a number of people unless under the governance of one to look after the common good . . .Secondly, if one man surpassed another in knowledge and justice."
In the context of mastership, what is the first meaning of "mastership" mentioned in the text?
a) Ruling over free individuals
b) Governing as a benevolent leader
c) Owning slaves
d) Acquiring knowledge and skills