Lecture 1_What is Europe 24_25 PDF

Political Challenges What is Europe? Lecture 1 Today we will: 1. Review the logistics of the course 2. Define some important terms 3. Break 4. Take the first step with the Greco-Roman world  3/30 Wh...

Political Challenges What is Europe? Lecture 1 Today we will: 1. Review the logistics of the course 2. Define some important terms 3. Break 4. Take the first step with the Greco-Roman world  3/30 Why this course? To explore the evolution of European ideas about politics and culture on which the EU’s values rely. To understand the challenges Europe faces today to practice and defend its values. To become familiar with contemporary European political practices and institutions. To determine what bring us together and makes Europeans different from others. European unity considering its diversity.  Why did Aristotle dislike democracy? Some important questions to ask And to be answered in this class… What is power? Why should the branches of government be separated? What is freedom? Why do we have different political, electoral, and party systems? Why are some places recognised as “states” and others, who want to be, are not? What can the role of us, the people, be in politics?  @coffees_and_conversations The Course Format Weekly 13 13Lectures Lectures 13 13Seminars Seminars Readings (and watching)  5/30 The books 1. John Hirst, The Shortest History of Europe 2. Robert Garner, Peter Ferdinand and Stephanie Lawson, Introduction to Politics 5th edition (also for next semester) Pages for each week in module book  6/30 Assessment and Course overview Open question exam: 10 questions covering the entire course 1. The Challenge of Religion (lectures 1, 2, 3 on European history) 2. The Challenge of Sovereignty (lecture 4 on the European nation state) 3. The Challenge of Checking Power 1 (lecture 5 on the History of Democracy) 4. The Challenge of Checking Power 2 (lecture 6 on the Functioning of Democracy) 5. The Challenge of Unchecked Power (lecture 7 on Authoritarianism) 6. Checked Power in Practice (lecture 8 on the Branches of Government) 7. The Challenge of Accurate Representation (lectures 9 and 10 on Ideologies) 8. The Challenge of Accurate Representation (lecture 11 on Political Parties) 9. The Challenge of Fair Representation (lecture 12 on Elections) 10.The Challenge of Freedom beyond the State (lecture 13 on Civil Society)  7/30 Are you ready to discover Europe? Three “flashlights” at ES: 1. Politics 2. Culture 3. Business Our focus is on politics and culture to understand our European identity.  8/30 What is Identity? Values: what we hold to be important Belief: what we hold to be true (not necessarily real) Ideas: what we hold to be possible  9/30 What is Culture? ”Everything that people have, think and do as members of their society” (Adekola & Sergi, 2007) have: material objects think: ideas, values, attitudes do: patterns of behaviour members: culture is shared  10/30 What is Politics? From the Greek “politika”: affairs of the city or “polis”. Politics is about: ⬧The public sphere of the state: struggle for power and leadership that gives an individual or a group the ability to make authoritative decisions for the public as a whole, for society. ⬧Conflict and cooperation: The process of resolving conflicts in which rival views and competing interests are reconciled because “we are not all alike” and “there is never enough to go round”. ⬧Pursuit and exercise of power: it provides the focus for understanding the production, distribution and use of resources.  11/30 What makes us Europeans… Culture Identity Politics  12/30 …are our core European values Individualism Critical spirit 13/30  14/30 In spite of our diversity Journey through time to understand the core 15/30 European values  16/30 And consider solutions to the challenges of today  17/30 Why should you care? To know who you are, what you represent, what you stand for, what your strengths are, what you can teach and what you must learn ES mission: “Graduates are competent professionals who are qualified to start careers in a wide range of jobs that have international and intercultural aspects and that relate to the public and private sectors.”  18/30 What is Europe?  19/30 The term Coined by the Greeks. Mythical story of the maiden Europa, a Phoenician princess abducted by Zeus and taken to Crete In contrast with Asia and Africa. Distinction between Greeks and non- Greek (“barbarians”) “Hellas”: a cultural community of democratic city states “poleis” bound by same language, cultural and religious traditions Europe: “the Greek sphere of influence”. Difference between Greek freedom and oriental despotism  20/30 21  21/30 From polis to cosmo-polis Greek culture spread by the conquests of Alexander the Great, Macedonian king educated by Aristotle Creation of Hellenistic civilization: mixture of Greek culture and pre-existing traditions of various regions Urban elites embrace Greek culture: creation of the first “citizens of the world”, cosmopolitan belong belong Cosmo Polis to one polis to the city world 22  22/30 The Greek intellectual heritage Concept of philosophy fostering arts : individual spiritual science development literature civil rights as opposed to a Concept of citizen powerful state, (free man) birthplace of democracy 23  23/30 The Romans Greek values taken over and developed by the inhabitants of Rome Admiration for Greek culture and Hellenized elites 24  24/30 Rome makes war and war makes Rome Rome was an expansionist military power The creation of foreign enemies used as an instruments by those in power to ease internal tensions and provide and external challenge for the population War was also a way to achieve fame, wealth and status even for ordinary men 25  25/30 26  26/30 The conquered areas were placed under Roman government Often the local elites were allowed to keep their power, if they complied to Rome’s military, fiscal and cultural requirements: Pax Romana Process of Romanization: temples, aqueducts, baths, amphitheaters for games, network of roads that linked Roman territories and provided cohesion and security, spread knowledge. 27  27/30 The Roman legal heritage Roman jurists created an elaborate system of laws that still is today the basis of jurisprudence in many parts of Europe and worldwide Coined notions such as: Benefit of the doubt The spirit of the law prevails over its letter 29  28/30 Civil law is based on Roman law 30  29/30 Roman Culture Status and power were determined by wealth and the prestige a person acquired by adapting to the culture of the elite. The way to the top was open to all free men living within the limits of the empire “limes”, regardless of race, language and religion. All citizens had equal rights and equal claim to social success if they agreed with and lived by the “paideia” ideal: reading, writing an especially speaking Latin well, based on Greek texts. 31  30/30 Roman Strengths Advanced communication network Lingua franca Open cultural ideals Created a transnational educated elite, who has not been seen again until the 20th century and who was instrumental in creating the Europe we know today.  Readings for this week → Garner, Ferdinand and Lawson, Introduction (sections: What is politics? Is politics inevitable? Political Questions, The boundaries of the political 1 and 2) pp. 2-13 in 5th edition → Watch The Story of Europe Part 1 video You are able to see everything on Brightspace once you registered for your Group on the Political Challenges BS page Seminar Preparation Key concepts Identity Culture Politics Polis Cosmopolitan Greco-Roman civilization Paidea