Europe: Critical Thinking in Critical Times

This volume collects various contributions by specialists from different disciplines on fundamental aspects of the complex reality of Europe. The topics range from the influence towards integration exerted by Europe on the Balkan countries to the splits in European identity between nationalism and cosmopolitanism; from legal and institutional problems within Europe to the great heritage of its cultural traditions; from the weight of both positive and negative consequences of the colonial past to the current problems of environmental sustainability, as well as to the reforms necessary to update the educational systems. It is difficult to merge all these issues into a single amalgam, but collectively they comprise a cultural universe without which Europe would be intolerably impoverished, and lacking any vision of itself. This collection of articles testifies to a coherent cultural orientation. Modern Europe is a complex reality, because it is the imaginary space in which no one can claim to own the truth, and where everyone has the right to be heard and understood. The challenge that Europe must face for the future is to unite its communities in a solidarity and participation that goes far beyond the restrictions of separate local environments.