"Plurality in Unity": European Identity and European Citizenship

• Authors: Evert van der Zweerde

Title variants

LT

Vieningumo pliuralumas: europietiškasis tapatumas ir europietiškasis pilietiškumas

Abstracts

EN

In this paper, an argument is developed in favour of further integration of "Europe" and, most importantly, its increased "politicization". It is not based on any romantic or idealistic vision of a positive European cultural identity, but on an assessment of Europe's reality as already integrated economically, socially and ecologically, however lagging behind politically in terms of democratic government and citizenship. The seemingly endless discussions about Europe's identity, limit, unity, civilization, etc. are not a problem that is yet to be solved, but are, precisely, the core of what makes Europe what it is: a plurality in unity instead of a "unity in plurality", as one of the official slogans of the European Union (EU) has it. Current social, economic and environmental problems require European solutions as well as a moreactiveEuropean citizenship. However, European civil identity that is to match European societal reality, will not be a unitary and homogeneous identity, but heterogeneous and diverse, covering a plurality of perceptions, preferences and ideals - it will beplural, not as a first step towards unity, but in its core; and it will bedivided, but not along national lines.

LT

Tolesnė "Europos" integracija ir svarbiausia - vis dažnesnės "politinės diskusijos" šia tema yra remiamos ir skatinamos. Vadovaujamasi ne romantine ar idealistine pozityvaus europietiškojo tapatumo vizija, bet Europos ekonominės, socialinės ir ekologinės integracijos vertinimu bei požiūriu, esą ji politiškai atsilieka demokratinio valdymo ir pilietiškumo atžvilgiais. Tariamai nesibaigiančios diskusijos Europos tapatumo, ribų, vieningumo, civilizacijos ir panašiais klausimais nėra ta problema, kuri jau turi būti išspręsta, bet iš esmės sudaro tokios Europos, kokia ji yra, pagrindą: vieningumo pliuralumas vietoj "pliuralumo vieningumo", kaip skelbia vienas iš oficialių Europos Sąjungos (ES) lozungų. Nūdienės socialinės, ekonominės ir aplinkosaugos problemos reikalauja europietiškų sprendimų ir kur kasaktyvesnioeuropietiškojo pilietiškumo. Tačiau norint, kad europietiškasis pilietinis tapatumas atitiktų europietiškąją socialinę tikrovę, jis neturi būti bendras ir homogeniškas, bet, atvirkščiai, heterogeniškas ir įvairialypis, apimantis daugelį suvokimo perspektyvų, privilegijų ir idealų. Jis turi būtipliuralus, bet ne kaip pirmas žingsnis vieningumo link; jis turi būti iš esmėsdalus, tačiau ne pagal valstybių sienas.

Keywords

EN

citizenship; "civilizationalism"; discursive space; European integration; identity; plurality

LT

pilietiškumas; "civilizacionalizmas"; diskursyvi erdvė; europietiškoji integracija; tapatumas; pliuralumas

• Publisher: Sciendo
• Journal: Limes. Cultural Regionalistics
• Year: 2009
• Volume: 2
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 5-25

Contributors

author

Evert van der Zweerde

• Centre for Ethics, Radboud University Nijmegen, P.O. Box 9103, NL-6500 HD Nijmegen, Netherlands

References

• Anderson, B. 2006.Imagined Communities. London and New York: Verso.
• Balibar, É. 2001.Nous, citoyens d'Europe?Paris: Éditions la découverte.
• Buonanno, L.; Deakin, A. 2004. "European Identity", in N. Nugent (Ed.).European Union Enlargement. Basingstoke: Palgrave MacMillan, 84-102.
• Davies, N. 1997.Europe - A History. London: Pimlico.
• Giddens, A. 1993.Runaway World: How Globalisation is Reshaping Our Lives. London: Profile Books.
• Huntington, S. P. 2004.Who Are We? The Challenges to America's National Identity. New York: Simon & Schuster.
• Kangaspuro, M. 2007. "Introduction", in M. Kangaspuro (Ed.).Constructed Identities in Europe. Helsinki: Aleksanteri Institute, 7-16.
• Laclau, E.; Zac, L. 1994. "Minding the Gap: The Subject of Politics", in E. Laclau (Ed.).The Making of Political Identities. London and New York: Verso, 11-39.
• Lübbe, H. 2001.Politik nach der Aufklärung. München: Fink.
• Luhmann, N. 2000.Die Politik der Gesellschaft. Frankfurt am Main: Suhrkamp.
• Luhmann, N. 1997.Die Gesellschaft der Gesellschaft. Frankfurt am Main: Suhrkamp.
• Mouffe, C. 2005.On the Political. London and New York: Routledge.
• Neumann, I. B. 2007. "European Identity and Its Changing Others", in M. Kangaspuro (Ed.).Constructed Identities in Europe. Helsinki: Aleksanteri Institute, 17-32.
• Rogowski, R.; Turner, Ch. 2006. "Europe: Law, Politics, History, Culture", in R. Rogowski, Ch. Turner (Eds.).The Shape of the New Europe, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1-22.
• Tibi, B. 2002.Europa ohne Identität? Leitkultur oder Wertebeliebigkeit (aktualisierte Taschenbuchausgabe). München: Bertelsmann.
• Tilly, C. 2007.Democracy. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
• Wiesner, C. 2007. "European Identity and Its Relation to EU Democratisation: Normative and Methodological Considerations", in M. Kangaspuro (Ed.).Constructed Identities in Europe. Helsinki: Aleksanteri Institute, 33-48.
• Young, I. M. 2000.Inclusion and Democracy. Oxford University Press.
• Zweerde van der, E. 2003. "Europe - A Christian Super-Nation in a Globalizing World?", in J. Sutton, W. van der Bercken (Ed.).Orthodox Christianity and Contemporary Europe. Leuven: Peeters, 145-162.
• Zweerde van der, E. 2005. "All Europeans are Equal… But Aren't Some Less European than Others? Reflections on Europe and Orthodox Christianity",Journal of Eastern Christian Studies57(3-4): 257-289.
• Žižek, S. 2008.In Defense of Lost Causes. London and New York: Verso.
• Moтрошилова, Н. В. 1991.Рождение и развитие философских идей. Moсква: Политиздат.

Identifiers

DOI

10.3846/2029-0187.2009.1.5-25