Repository | Book | Chapter
Being and doing in Europe since 1945
contrasting dichotomies of identity and efficiency
pp. 85-96
Abstract
The definition of "European identity" is a major headache. As Edgar Morin (1990, p. 37) has stressed, there was never any internal founding principle. The Greek and Roman bases came from the periphery, Judeo-Christianity from Asia Minor. Successive waves of migrations and invasions produced a hopelessly confused ethnic cocktail. European values have always existed as contradictory dichotomies: right and might, democracy and tyranny, socialism and liberalism, spirituality and materialism, communism and fascism. At the turn of this century, Paul Valéry's imaginary Chinese scholar had already noted the "insane disorder of Europe":
Publication details
Published in:
Andrew Joe, Crook Malcolm, Waller Michael (2000) Why Europe? problems of culture and identity I: political and historical dimensions. Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan.
Pages: 85-96
Full citation:
Howorth Jolyon (2000) „Being and doing in Europe since 1945: contrasting dichotomies of identity and efficiency“, In: J. Andrew, M. Crook & M. Waller (eds.), Why Europe? problems of culture and identity I, Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan, 85–96.