Facing Global Crises After Europe. Between Philosophy and Politics

Europe is beset by crises. This refrain resounds today from all corners and under many guises: economic, social, geopolitical and environmental. Yet there is no consensus on what defines these crises. Even the meaning of the subject of the refrain, "Europe", is a matter of contention. Is Europe the entity that shall face and possibly overcome these crises or is it only passively subjected to them? Over the last few years many attempts have been made by philosophers and intellectuals to write petitions and manifestos to give remedy the lack of clarity about the very idea of Europe and the possible outcomes of its crises; there is indeed widespread confusion and doubts not only amongst Europe's political, economic and cultural elites, but also amongst its citizenry concerning Europe's identity, task, role in the world, and even whether Europe exists in a relevant sense. This Special Issue of Metodo aims at addressing the issue of "crisis" from different angles. Our contention is, indeed, that an analysis of the crisis concept, and in particular of the kind of crises which are currently affecting Europe, necessarily requires multidisciplinary insights into the problem, which range from philosophy to political theory, from economy to law. By engaging different approaches and languages, this Issue aims at generating an open debate on this topic.