Europeanism as a Value System: A Potential Interpretation
Europeanism as a Value System: A Potential Interpretation

Summary/Abstract: Europeanism is the result of a two-and-a-half-thousand-year-old historical process. It has been guided by certain elements, such as ancient Greek democracy, Roman rules and laws, Judeo-Christian tradition, civic engagement, enterprise willingness and capabilities, humanism, national self-determination, and the virtues of dignity and respect for the individual. Europeanism has aspects which are not related to politics and economy but to morals and pedagogy (teaching, education). In this sense, we must analyze philosophical, ethical, and pedagogical correlations. In the author’s opinion, Europeanism is a great invention that has made the individual’s social role more important. Robert Musil, the most philosophical writer of the 20th century, wrote that the individual was nothing else but one’s own primary performance. According to Milan Kundera, God has become Deus absconditus and humans have become the philosopher’s stone. In this context, Europeanism signifies that the individual becomes what one makes of oneself. The author also thinks that the greatest challenges of pedagogy (from a theoretical and practical perspective) are: How can the ability and competence of independent thinking be realized during educational work?; How does the schooling system facilitate the development of the autonomy of pupils, students, and teachers? This is the most beautiful and charming quest of education.

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