The Political Frontiers of Europe as a Civil Society: J. Habermas' Rejection of a European Volk and M. Foucault's Balance of Power as Protections Against European Nation-State

• Authors: Machiel Karskens

Title variants

LT

Pozityvios Alternatyvos Europos Nacijai-Valstybei

Abstracts

EN

With the help of J. Habermas and M. Foucault, it is argued that the idea of Europe is, first of all, the ideal of an unlimited civil society. Human rights, the rule of law and the legal European institutions are its political backbone. The European Union itself is somehow the realization of this ideal conception of a borderless, unlimited society. It is argued that the European Union in this respect is a heterotopia within the bordered and sovereign member states themselves. Seen from the outside, however, and in the world of geopolitics, Europe is a political power with closed borders and excluding frontiers. In this respect the European Union is a continuation of the old European Balance of Power.

LT

Remiantis J. Habermasu ir M. Foucault, Europos idėja straipsnyje traktuojama kaip neribotos pilietinės visuomenės idealas, kurio politinį pagrindą sudaro žmogaus teisės, įstatymo valdžia ir teisinės Europos institucijos. Tam tikra prasme šią idealią sienų neturinčios, neribotos visuomenės koncepciją realizuoja pati Europos Sąjunga. Šia prasme, žvelgiant iš "vidinės" suverenių, turinčių sienas narių valstybių perspektyvos, ji laikytina heterotopija. Tačiau, žvelgiant iš išorės ir geopolitiškai, Europa yra politinė galia su uždaromis sienomis, griežtai sauganti savo ribas. Šiuo atžvilgiu Europos Sąjunga gali būti vertinama kaip senojo europietiškojo galios pusiausvyros projekto tąsa.

Keywords

EN

balance of power; civil society; Europe; European Union; heterotopia

LT

galios pusiausvyra; pilietinė visuomenė; Europa; Europos Sąjunga; heterotopija

• Publisher: Sciendo
• Journal: Limes. Cultural Regionalistics
• Year: 2008
• Volume: 1
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 186-198

Contributors

author

Machiel Karskens

• Department of Philosophy, Radboud University Nijmegen, p. o. box 9104, 6500 HD Nijmegen, the Netherlands

References

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Identifiers

DOI

10.3846/2029-0187.2008.1.186-198