The Idea of Europe : From Antiquity to the European Union

This collection discusses what it means to be 'European', covering the period from Antiquity to the end of the twentieth century. Addressing politics, law, religion, culture, literature and affectivity, this broad account shows how a distinctive European identity has grown over the centuries, and looks at the European Union's future.

The creation of the European Union and the progressive integration of the European states has raised serious questions about the existence of a distinctive European identity. Do the British share much in common with the French, or the French with the Danes? Will a unified Europe remain an economic and political possibility with no greater cultural or affective foundations? If there is something that distinguishes all Europeans, what is it, and how is it being changed by recent events? This book addresses these questions in essays ranging from ancient Greece to the end of the twentieth century. Their authors come from different intellectual backgrounds and represent differing intellectual traditions. They discuss questions of politics, religion, commerce, law, language, literature and affectivity. Taken together, they provide a powerful insight into the historical origins of the idea of Europe and into the future of the European Union.