Inventing Europe: Foundational Texts in Culture, Politics, and Law from Early Modern Times to the Present

About

This seminar explores the making of "Europe" as a contested cultural, political, and legal construct. We will read and discuss selected excerpts from foundational texts that have
shaped the European tradition—from early modern political philosophy to key documents of the post-war integration project and contemporary critiques. The aim is to trace how Europe emerged not as a given geographical or civilizational entity, but as a historically constructed idea that has been mobilized in various contexts to legitimize institutions, policies, and
hierarchies. Focusing on the longue durée from the Enlightenment to the present, the course invites students to engage critically with the discourses that have granted Europe a special status in
the history of modernity. We will interrogate how concepts such as human rights, citizenship, sovereignty, and cultural identity have been used to define Europe's normative core—and how these ideals often stand in tension with political and material realities, including exclusionary practices, colonial legacies, and migration regimes. At the heart of the seminar lies the question: What makes "Europe" a powerful concept? How
has it been constructed, institutionalized, and contested over time? Through historical reflection and critical reading, students will develop a sharpened awareness of the constructedness of large-scale political and cultural formations and the ways in which they function discursively to authorize specific policies, identities, and exclusions

Course leader

Dr. Pablo Valdivia Orozco

Target group

This seminar is aimed at students and researchers interested in the historical and political construction of Europe. It is ideal for those studying history, political science, European studies, or related fields, and for anyone seeking to critically explore how Europe has been shaped as a cultural, political, and legal idea over time

Course aim

Workload: 20 hours in-class / 130 hours independent study (6 ECTS)
GRADING
Home essay (8 pp.): 40 %
1 presentation (10 minutes): 20 %
Participation/Engagement: 40 %

Fee info