Survey Article: The Nascent Political Philosophy of the European Polity

A survey article addresses the potential contribution of political theory & philosophy to understandings of the European Union. The creation of a European polity exposes the limitations of approaches to political philosophy that focus on general issues of relevance for all polities at all times & indicates the need to instead explore specific polities situated in particular times/spaces. Current debates about the political philosophy of contemporary Europe are divided among those who draw upon rationalism & liberalism to apply general principles to the European polity in relation to concerns about democracy & efficiency; & those who begin with the specificity of the contemporary European situation to emphasize constraints/enablements related to polity formation. A review of the literature of both camps highlights how theoretical assumptions &/or empirical knowledge about the European social context has been used to promote specific ideas about the European polity. Suggestions are made for the development of a sociohistorical normative political philosophy of the emerging European polity. 67 References. J. Lindroth