Spirits of Europe
Publisher
:
Éditions Calmann-Lévy
Parution date
:
2005
EAN
:
9782702134641
Description
Esprits d’Europe examines the much-debated topic of European identity, or rather its lack thereof, through the prism of Eastern Europe's intellectual community. Alexandra Laignel-Lavastine lucidly shows how these countries’ exposure to totalitarian regimes led their intellectuals to question the relationship of the individual to the state. Through the works of Czeslaw Milosz, Jan Patocka, and István Bibó, the author exposes the need for Europe to define its identity around ethical values rather than institutions. Far from a mere plea for recognition of the socio-cultural heritage of the Eastern bloc, Esprits D’Europe not only questions the political foundations of contemporary Europe, but also offers an insight into the essence of the modern state, and the state's need to establish individual consciousness.
Author
Alexandra Laignel-Lavastine : Alexandra Laignel-Lavastine is a philosopher and historian of ideas. She has published three works on the intellectuals of Central and Eastern Europe: Nationalisme et Philosophie: le paradoxe (Bucarest, Humanitas, 1998), dedicated to the Romanian philosopher Constantin Noïca, Jan Patocka: l’esprit de la dissidence (Paris, Michalon, 1998), and Cioran, Eliade, Ionesco: l’oubli du fascisme (Paris, PUF, 2002). She also collaborates on the weekly literary review Le Monde des Livres.
|