2 History, modernity, and the multiple conceptions of Europe
European transformation in historical perspective
For over 100 years the question has been asked again and again as to the cultural form of Europe.1 What is Europe? Is there an underlying European idea from which politics might be grounded? The answer to such questions partly depends on who asks the question and how they view history. Every age has constructed Europe in response to the concerns of the present situation. But this invented nature of Europe does not mean it is only a construction of discourse and ideology; it is also a site of cultural contestation and political possibility.
Originally the question of Europe arose in the sixteenth century in the context of threats ...
Get Rethinking Europe now with the O’Reilly learning platform.
O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.
