Presentation

This book can certainly be considered both as an end and a beginning. It represents the end of a year of scientific and academic cooperation between researchers from different universities in Europe. In this sense, this book is the materialisation of the first collective action of the research network Rethinking Europe, the beginning of which was the realization of a homonymous workshop in February 2011 at the Universiteit Gent. At the same time this book represents the beginning of a series of volumes dedicated to the current political philosophical debates in and about Europe.

Rethinking Europe is a research network integrated by scholars from different universities in Europe. Its principal aims are to offer to researchers a free and public space for discussion about Europe and to promote the development of innovative research in the field of political philosophy.

The papers of the first volume of Rethinking Europe deal with main issues concerning the European question such as the conditions of possibility for (radical) democracy, the tension between equality, recognition and exclusion and the creation of social norms. The articles show a diversity of methodological approaches, coming from very different traditions of contemporary philosophy such as the phenomenology, the theory of social/collective action and the critical philosophy.

Beside the papers of the members of the research network this volume includes contributions of two celebrated scholars: an article on Europe written by Heribert Boeder and an interview with Ernesto Laclau.

We will express our gratitude to all the authors for their uninterested collaboration and patience, to B. Demarest and A. Froeyman afor their cooperation in the edition of the content of this book, and to Gertrudis Van de Vijver for her unconditional support on this new philosophical enterprise.

The Editors
Blandijnberg, April, 2012