CONCEPTS OF THE INTELLECTUAL HISTORY OF EUROPEAN INTEGRATION: FROM UTOPIA TO POLITICAL REALISM

Andrii Martynov,

Dr. habil. (History), Professor,

Institute of History of Ukraine, NASU, Kyiv, Ukraine

 

DOI: https://doi.org/10.17721/2524-048X.2025.30.2

 

Abstract.

The purpose of the article is to analyze the development of concepts of European integration in the format of intellectual history. The research methodology is based on the use of methods of specific historical analysis of the current stage of European integration, problem-chronological, structural-functional, and comparative methods. The scientific novelty of the article is due to the coverage of intellectual models of the development of the idea of ​​European integration over a long historical period. This made it possible to show the competition of different models and theories of European integration. Depending on the specific historical situation, we observe the transformation of ideas of European integration from the models of empire, monarchy, republic, federation, and confederation as a union of national states. Conclusions.  Intellectually, Europe for most of written history was a single universal space. The idea of ​​a single Europe from the point of view of Freedom and Law is continuous in time. The historical prerequisites of the process of European integration are also questions of historical roots and the evolution of democracy. The formation of a “grand strategy” should take place on an institutional basis. This basis is “eroded” by the dual model of national and transnational politics in the European Union. In the ideal model, the implementation of the “grand strategy” of the European Union should be a consolidated result of the functioning of the national and supranational levels of European Union politics. In real politics, at the stages of formation, adjustment, and implementation, the “grand strategy” faces specific problems. These difficulties manifest themselves both in the common foreign policy of the European Union and in the common defense policy of the European Union. The history of the idea of ​​European integration is an example of the menu of the history of success. The intellectual history of European integration is based on a permanent dialogue between optimistic and skeptical concepts. The consequence of this is the reproduction and development of the European civilization process.

Keywords: history of ideas, intellectual history, European integration, European Union, confederation, republic, federalism.

 

 

Submitted 03.01.2025

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