*** MURIEL ROUYER, CATHERINE DE WRANGEL, EMMANUELLE BOUSQUET, STEFANIA CUBEDDU (editors): Regards sur le cosmopolitisme européen. Presses Interuniversitaires Européennes/Peter Lang (1 av. Maurice, B-1050 Brussels. Tel: (41-32) 3761717 - fax: 3761727 -Email: info@peterlang.com - Internet: http://www.peterlang.com ). "Europe des cultures" series, No.3. 2011, 456 p. €49.50. ISBN 978-90-5201-684-9.
This book is the extension of an interdisciplinary and international conference organised at the University of Nantes in April 2008. It is entirely focuses on the issue of cosmopolitanism. According to the rather attractive definition made by professor of political science, Muriel Rouyer in her preface, this is, “a project in which political, cultural, individual or collective identity is interpreted as a common and peaceful but diverse humanity”. In the current period where the Westphalian world is still attempting to show its claws (to show that they are still there), it is useful to look at why Europe, the laboratory of applied cosmopolitanism, particularly from a legal and philosophical point of view, is undergoing a number of challenges and limitations. The insight that these researchers from Europe and elsewhere in the world provide in this intellectually brilliant book help the reader to understand better that this, “eminently moral philosophy of life in society, sees otherness not as the enemy but the future”. Muriel Rouyer explains that cosmopolitanism is, “the idea of humanity reconciled with itself, through legal and political procedures, in an alliance installing political freedom and peace through the Constitution and republican citizenship”.
The book is divided into four different parts. The first part is entitled, “The Political Philosophy of Cosmopolitanism at Risk in Europe”. In this chapter, American historian of ideas Richard Wolin points out that philosophy of freedom is at the heart of the Kantian project, which consists in seeking to submit the power of the state into law. In this connection, tangible progress has been made since 1945, which the European Union is perhaps the greatest achievement. Nonetheless, the author points out that Iraq, in particular, exists to remind us that this evolution can still clash head-on with, “the political power of the US”. Wolin also illustrates that multiculturalism, the cultural vector of cosmopolitanism is in danger of, “degenerating into murderous ethnic-nationalism when moral universalism underpinning Kantian republicanism is failing”. This point is at the heart of the contribution made by Olivier Ménard, “Infra-State Cosmopolitanism and the Danger of Identity Turning in on Itself ”. Ménard is a senior lecturer in history of law and shows how cosmopolitanism has been used by the European Union as an instrument to endorse itself against the nation-state (Europe of the regions) but has now become a weapon used by those seeking to turn identity back in on itself. The trajectories of Catalonia and Flanders, for example, show that the, “regional field has been invaded by the far right”. Political scientist, Arnaud Leclerc, highlights the Kantian ideal of cosmopolitanism in the thinking of contemporary German philosopher Habermas. In the author's eyes, the latter betrays this ideal by giving in to the federal ideal of a European state, while the regulatory ideal of his illustrious predecessor provides an, “infinite approximation”, in which no institution is able to equal. In the same connection, the legal historian Yvon Le Gall dissects the cosmopolitan project as being both rational and organised to the point of accession in the ideas developed by positivist Auguste Comte in his “Treaty of Sociology Establishing the Religion of Humanity”. Le Gall attempts to illustrate how Eurosceptic complacency in an epoch of universalism was believed to be exclusively transmitted through Europe. This reverse situation is also examined in this study by Stéphanie Couderc-Morandeau, which focuses on French colonialism and in which the Republic was revealed, “in its imperial projection outside of France… to be the opposite of its own principles, imperialist and totalitarian in its behaviour”.
The three other parts of the book are no less interesting, even though the author of these parts of the book is obliged, unfortunatel, to be much more succinct in putting over his ideas. In the first part of this section, the contributions focus on is a cosmopolitan impact on European law. As an extension of the objective and material reality of the economic and legal construction, these authors examine the “ in voluntary and ex post market”. Professor Loïc Azoulai, former Counsellor at the European Court of Justice looks at the philosophy of law in the daily practice of the European judge, which he regards as having been built on “the community of the market”. In a number of different typical examples of European jurisprudence, Muriel Rouyer identifies a movement ranging from, “economic cosmopolitanism to supranational European democracy”. Linguistic diversity, the European patent, the free movement of persons, the right of asylum and, “cosmopolitanism threatened by terrorism” are all different themes explored. “European cosmopolitan culture” is the title of the third part, which leads to a number of different subjects such as the pioneers of World Music and Luciano Visconti, with the cosmopolitanism present in Death in Venice. Finally, the fourth and final part of the book looks at Europe in the face of cosmopolitanism and subsequently makes this book a wonderful point of reference for further work on the subject!
Michel Theys
*** IGNACE BERTEN, GABRIEL FRAGNIERE, PHILIPPE D. GROSJEAN, PETER KNAUER, DANIEL SPOEL, FRANK TURNER: Regards éthiques sur l'Union européenne. Presses Interuniversitaires Européennes / Peter Lang (see address attached). "Philosophie & Politique" series, No. 21. 2011, 251 pp. €32.50. ISBN 978-90-5201-737-2.
From the very first line of the preface in this book written by six different authors, the tone of the remaining pages is set, “from war weariness, part of Europe has not experienced war for more than 60 years”. War weariness! It is a very powerful image but how can the prevarications and other retreats made by leaders of European Union countries in the face of different obstacles be described? Worse still, what should be said about the Eurozone in these times of financial and indeed existential crisis? This is precisely the goal of these authors and in this book they seek to demonstrate that the project for European integration, “is still in crisis… because any perception of it as being above all, an ethical project, is avoided: the level of violence has certainly declined but it has not been eradicated”. The authors are from Belgium, Germany, United Kingdom and Switzerland. They are also part of the Permanent Forum of European Civil Society (http://www.forum-civil-society.org ), which is active in the promotion of participative and equal democracy and through their ideas strive to improve European governance. In this book they express their hope to, “go beyond what currently appears impossible but which has in fact been surpassed, namely the sovereign state as it was developed in the past few centuries and which led to the major conflicts of the 20th century”. In the first chapter, German Jesuit Peter Knauer proposes the adoption of the principle of proportionality as a universal ethical criteria and on which the moral judgement of any action should be based. The five key areas in European Union action are then examined. These include economy and finance (by Belgian Dominican monk Ignace Berten), the environment and climate change (by English Jesuit Frank Turner), citizenship and participative democracy (by Daniel Fragnière from Switzerland and the former rector of the College of Europe in Bruges) and solidarity (by Belgian engineer Philippe D. Grosjean). These authors also draft the common conclusions in which they urge member states to, “engage in the exercise of their sovereignty for the benefits of solidarity” to help European citizens live harmoniously in a multicultural area. (MT)
*** ALAN DASHWOOD, MICHAEL DOUGAN, BARRY RODGER, ELEANOR SPAVENTA, DERRICK WYATT: Wyatt and Dashwood's European Union Law. Hart Publishing (16C Worcester Place, Oxford OX1 2JW, UK. Tel: (44-1865) 517530 - fax: 510710 - Email: mail@hartpub.co.uk - Internet: http://www.hartpub.co.uk ). 2011, 985 pp. £35.95. ISBN 978-1-84946-126-9.
This book was published for the first time at least thirty years ago and is now in its sixth edition. Similarly to the previous editions, it provides a most useful introduction to students studying the arcane notions of European law, whilst providing an excellent reference point for more seasoned legal experts. All the changes that have occurred since the 2006 edition are covered. These include the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty, to the most important decisions made by the European Court of Justice, up until 1 January last. The authors examine the history and foundations of the Union's primary law, its institutions, decision-making procedures and scope, legal Europe, the constitutional foundations resulting from the direct effect of Community law and its primacy, its general principles and the Charter of Fundamental Rights, the internal market in light of free movement, Union citizenship, the directive on services, the mutual recognition of qualifications, competition law, the Union's external relations, etc. The book also contains an extensive index, which makes this book an indispensable working tool. (PBo)
*** CATHERINE MCGLYNN, ANDREW MYCOCK, JAMES W. MCAULEY (Editors): Britishness, Identity and Citizenship. The View From Abroad. Peter Lang (1 Moosstrasse, Postfach 350,
CH-2542 Pieterlen. Tel: (41-32) 3761717 - fax: 3761727 - Email: info@peterlang.com - Internet: http://www.peterlang.com ). "British Identities since 1707" series, No. 2. 2011, 354 pp, €46.70.
ISBN 978-3-0343-0226-5.
This book follows on from an international and inter-disciplinary conference organised at the University of Huddersfield in June 2008. It looks at Britishness from an external angle (South Africa, New Zealand, India, Nigeria, Gibraltar etc). The authors summarise the historic and contemporary debates on “Britishness” and on this basis further develop their ideas on identity and citizenship in the United Kingdom and elsewhere. The way in which popular culture is transmitted, as well as education, travel and immigration, the transnational idea of Britishness and the political and cultural dynamism are all examined in a way that enables us to see the contemporary pertinence of this concept. (PBo)
*** ALAIN-G. GAGNON, FERRAN REQUEJO (editors): Nations en quête de reconnaissance. Regards croisés Québec-Catalogne. Presses Interuniversitaires Européennes / Peter Lang (see address attached). "Diversitas" series, No. 9. 2011, 241 pp, €31.50. ISBN 978-90-5201-699-3.
The preface was written by Professor Benoît Pelletier, former Quebec government minister and Josep Bargalló director of the Ramon Llull Institute and former prime minister of the Generalitat of Catalonia. The book is an extension of an academic seminar organised in Montréal and explores the historical trajectories and challenges faced by Catalonia and Quebec. They look at whether these two nations now have the necessary tools for complete national emancipation and if they do so, in what way should they demand their respective multinational states, Spain and Canada, for full recognition and an appropriate arrangement of their distinct national and legal personalities. In the first part of the book Professor Ferran Requejo (Universitat Pompeu Fabra of Barcelona) puts together the philosophical background to the debates between political liberalism and federalism in the multinational societies based on the vision of Kant and Hegel. This political scientist also initially analyses the Kantian notions of moral individualism, cosmopolitanism and patriotism. He then explores the ideas of Hegel in connection with these notions and highlights Kantian philosophy on the basis of concepts of recognition and ethics. The philosopher, Michel Seymour, provides analytical clarification of the concept of self-determination. This is followed by political scientist, Alain-G. Gagnon (University of Quebec), who demonstrates that the people can be defined as an association of individuals expressing their own collective interests through direct democracy. Montserrat Guibernau develops the theme of congruence or the lack of this concept with regard to the notion of state and national secessionist goals implicit in minority nationalist movements. André Lecours (University of Ottawa) provides a far-reaching explanation why the nationalist movements are both strong and resilient within liberal western democracies. Joaquim Colominas Ferran's contribution analyses the attempts by Catalonian political movements to transform Spain into a multinational state, following Franco's dictatorship. Klaus-Jürgen Nagel (Universitat Pompeu Fabra) examines the possibilities and limitations contained within process in European construction for current Catalan political movements. In this process, he points out that the European Union plays an ambivalent role with regard to aspirations of sovereignty expressed by European nationalist parties and helps to mitigate secessionist demands. At the same time, however, it, “facilitates positions conforming to confederal trends within certain parties… especially since the last round of enlargement". (MT)
*** MARIO ALBERTINI: L'état national. Fédérop (38 rue du Doyenné, F-69005 Lyon). "Textes fédéralistes" series. 1978, 166 pp. ISBN 978-2-85792-028-8.
Fédérop publications have decided to bring back to life and republish two series created and developed by militant French federalists since 1975. These texts, “National Minorities” and “Federalist Texts” had been left to gather dust on the bookshelves. This book is by an individual who taught political philosophy for many years at the University of Pavia and who presided the European Union of Federalists at the time of this series… 1978. Mario Albertini seeks to clarify the ideological underpinning of the nation, this, “bloody idol… That has killed the most”. He also demystifies the ideological justification and importance given to the state since the 19th century by capitalism. In his preface, Robert Lafont explains that Albertini shows how, “the state manages to obtain its contingency, whilst losing its predicates of eternity and theoretical invulnerability”. The author supports his general attack against the nation state by looking at the, “origins of nationalism” and attempts to explain what the nation state really is. (MT)