Abstract

Europe and the European Union are now on the agenda, and there are heated discussions concerning both monetary and social unification. Ralf Dahrendorf, a Euroskeptic, has recently pointed out that “The worst part of the European Union is the deadly boredom surrounding most of the issues with which it deals.” The endless technical questions tackled by experts and interest groups are important and unavoidable, but they concern only those occasionally affected by them. Rarely is the fundamental question ever posed: “What is the real reason why we are seeking European Union?”¹

For their part, philosophers have rediscovered an old theme:…