Habermas, the Last European: A Philosopher's*Mission to Save the EU

[sysop]

Jürgen Habermas has had enough. The philosopher is doing all he can these days to call attention to what he sees as the demise of the European ideal.*He hopes he can help*save it -- from inept politicians and the dark forces of the market.

http://www.spiegel.de/international/...799237,00.html

[pmoseley]

Well, if this is the most prominant philosopher in Germany today, then German philosophy must be in steep decline. He, or at least the reporter, took so much hot wind to declare what we all know, that there is not enough democracy and accountability in Europe and that the European ideal would be more acceptable to Europeans if there was more. He, like so many European 'idealists', have totally missed the point that the European ideal is not something that people can love, it is just something that they can use. People love their country, their people, their culture and traditions and occasionally their national leaders. The EU is just a political and economic overlay that may be useful but as soon as it is not useful, then it is generally dismissed. That is what is happening now. Mercozy are sidelining the EU structures, the markets have lost confidence in it and Barroso is having fits in the wings.

[nettisa]

Originally Posted by pmoseley

Well, if this is the most prominant philosopher in Germany today, then German philosophy must be in steep decline. He, or at least the reporter, took so much hot wind to declare what we all know, that there is not enough democracy and accountability in Europe and that the European ideal would be more acceptable to Europeans if there was more. He, like so many European 'idealists', have totally missed the point that the European ideal is not something that people can love, it is just something that they can use. People love their country, their people, their culture and traditions and occasionally their national leaders. The EU is just a political and economic overlay that may be useful but as soon as it is not useful, then it is generally dismissed. That is what is happening now. Mercozy are sidelining the EU structures, the markets have lost confidence in it and Barroso is having fits in the wings.

PMoseley is much too dismissive of Habermas in his comment. He needs to realize that ideals have to be advanced for people to reach for them. Ours is a globalized world. For Europe to pull its weight, and advance its values, it must offer a transcending identity, tho not doing away with more local ones: a European identity. (I believe that polls have shown that 51% of the population of the countries involved do affirm such an identity.) Moseley might be interested in the notion of "dynamic nominalism" advanced by the Canadian philosopher Ian Hacking, whereby once a category is created people can than come to fill it. After all, national identities did not always exist. Moseley is raising the right questions, but must go further in his search for answers.
Bruce Mazlish