Essay Collection (v. 2): An Essay Collection (On the Making of Europe) - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 904290996X ISBN 13: 9789042909960

Publisher: Peeters Publishers, 2002

Synopsis

After ten and more years of continuous movement toward integration the European Union and its citizens are confronted with the problem of whether or not to take decisive steps towards the establishment of a full-fledged common polity. This implies a Europe-wide debate (including the future member states) and deliberation process about the values, principles an basic policies that the citizens can perceive as common to everybody. Whatever its relationship to the diversity of existing national and local identities, Europian identity is about the Union's institutions becoming rooted in the "soul" of the citizens, thus receiving democratic legitimacy and support. In these two volumes authors who have a political and intellectual interest in the European process dicuss its unprecedented features as a peaceful and voluntary union of peoples, its understandable delays and less acceptable shortcomings. The first volume is a reader, written in non-academic terms: it discusses the essential components of an European political identity as far as problems like democracy, citizenship, social justice, war and peace, freedom, borders are concerned, also looking at the history of this identity. The second volume is a collection of scientific essays that provide in-depth analysis of fundamental aspects of European cultural identity such as religion, art and economic culture, myth and civil society. The two volumes can be read independently of each other, but it can be expected that readers who become acquainted with one will feel stimulated to reach for the other.

About this title

Synopsis:

After moving for the last ten years towards a close coalition the time has come for the European Union and it's citizens to face the challenge of whether or not to establish a fully-fledged common polity. The decision needs a Europe-wide debate that includes all member states. European citizens must dicuss what, if any, common values, principle and basic policies they share. A European identity involves the Union's institutions becoming rooted in the "soul" of the citizens, whatever its relationship might be to the existing national and local identities. Only then will the EU possess democratic legitimacy and support. The two volumes are written by authors with a political and intellectual interest in the European process. They discuss the EU's unprecedented character as a peaceful and voluntary union of people, its understandable obstacles encountered along the way to further integration and the Union's less acceptable shortcomings. The first volume is written for the general reader. It examines the essential components of an European policy identity in relation to democracy, citizenship, social justice, war and peace, freedom and borders.

It also explores the history of this identity. The second volume is a collection of essays providing in-depth analysis of fundamental aspects of European cultural identity such as religion, art and economic culture, myth and civil society.

About this edition

• Publisher: Peeters Publishers
• Publication date: 2002
• ISBN 10: 904290996X
• ISBN 13: 9789042909960
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 218
• Editor: Cerutti Furio, Rudolph Enno