Habermas and European Integration: With a New Preface

(Paperback)

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German philosopher Jurgen Habermas has written extensively on the European Union. This is the only in-depth account of his project. Published now in paperback to coincide with the celebration of his ninetieth birthday, a new preface considers Habermas's writings on the eurozone and refugee crises, populism and Brexit, and the presidency of Emmanuel Macron. Placing an emphasis on the conception of the EU that informs Habermas's political prescriptions, the book is divided into two main parts. The first considers the unfolding of 'social modernity' at the level of the EU. Among the subjects covered are Habermas's concept of juridification, the latter's affinities with integration theories such as neofunctionalism, and the application of Habermas's democratic theory to the EU. The second part addresses 'cultural modernity' in Europe - 'Europessimism' is argued to be a subset of the broader cultural pessimism that assailed the project of modernity in the late twentieth century, and with renewed intensity in the years since 9/11. -- .

Reviews

Habermas and European Integration starts with a review of Habermas's changing attitudes towards European unification over the past 30 years. Grewal reconstructs pertinent aspects of Habermas's scholarly work over roughly the same period, surveying it in the context of the philosopher's developing political concerns.
Scott McLemee, Inside Higher Ed

This splendid little book traces some interesting and important connections between Habermas's theoretical work and his analyses of the European Union, linking one of Europe's most important contemporary thinkers with its most important current political project.
William Outhwaite, Newcastle University

A particularly worthwhile read for scholars and postgraduate students of European studies who are interested in an analysis of the EU beyond the scope of mainstream theories.
Nele Kortendiek , The London School of Economics, LSE blog

Author Bio

Shivdeep Grewal has taught at Brunel University and University College London