Euro-Centrism vs. International Thinking

Abstract

The journey of the concept of Europe has been from myth to legend to war to stability. European unity is based, essentially, on the recognition of historic and linguistic diversity, the cultural variety and the national roots that make it unique. It is this huge cultural diversity that gives Europeans their European identity. I firmly believe that we cannot understand the idea of Europe without understanding its fundamental desire for universality. Europe has been built gradually on the basis of a sincere and deep-seated acknowledgement of diversity, and it is precisely because of this that it aspires to form the basis of a larger and more universal whole. Europe has more than its fair share of past glory and regrets and possesses both great diversity and a deep cultural unity.