Delanty
Idea as reality
social constructivism ("
became self conscious idea
(...)
no common European history: different languages different religions
janus-faced
christianity was equivalent to medieval Europe
Europe is just an invention
Less subject, more product of history
First a cultural idea, then a self-conscious political identity
lands in between !!! Poland, Czech republic, between Europe and Russia, conflicts all the time, push and pull between west and east (sometimes western sometimes eastern authority)
Barraclough: (1963)
negative integration
scientific revolution changed totally
united Europe can be used as national instrument e.g. Charlemagne want big empire under his rule
unity always justified by conditions of our time
can't be justified by past
2 big breaks in history: - scientific revolution - 11th century crusades: unified through Christianity for fighting against Islam, mobilization of Christendom, became more through crusades
China: China change was not good, way more traditional than Europe, in Europe change was good, that's why scientific revolution could take place in Europe and not in China
Baumann:
modern society is janus-faced
one side dual revolution and enlightenment, and other side Auschwitz
rationality central part of modernity
technical, people become more and more rational and listen to hierarchy and thus Holocaust was possible
(assignment)
Baumann vs.
Freud explaining holocaust
(Baumann = rationality; Freud = aggressive instincts break free)
Buruma & Margalit: 2002
Definition of Occidentalism
'hate on the west'
soulless, mechanical, artificial
(assignment)
Elias: (1939)
process of behaviour of people = civilizing process
external constraints caused by society
you have to control yourself because rules society imposed on you
external constraints become internal straints internalized
"selbstzwang" "fremdzwang" (in brackets)
civilized societies = rational thoughts
who doesn't think rational= not civilized
threshold of shame gets higher higher
element of control imposed
compare to catholicism: Catholicism = external pressure (confessions e.g.)...