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The Idea of Europe: Enlightenment Perspectives
Catriona Seth and Rotraud von Kulessa (eds.) 
Read Catriona Seth's introductory piece on our 
In view of the challenges—many of which are political—that different European countries are currently facing, scholars who work on the eighteenth century have compiled this anthology which includes earlier recognitions of common values and past considerations of questions which often remain pertinent nowadays. During the Enlightenment, many men and women of letters envisaged the continent’s future in particular when stressing their hope that peace could be secured in Europe. The texts gathered here, and signed by major thinkers of the time (Rousseau, Montesquieu, Voltaire, Kant, Hume or Staël for instance), as well as by writers history has forgotten, present the reflections, with a couple of chronological extensions (from Sully to Victor Hugo) of authors from the long eighteenth century—the French Empire and the fall of Napoleon generated numerous upheavals—on Europe, its history, its diversity, but also on what the nations, which, in all their diversity, make up a geographical unit, have in common. They show the historical origins of the project of a European union, the desire to consolidate the continent’s ties to the Maghreb or to Turkey, the importance granted to commerce and the worries engendered by history’s convulsions, but also the hope vested in future generations.
The Idea of Europe follows its sister edition in French, L’idée de l’Europe au Siècle des Lumières, also published by Open Book.
The Société française d’étude du XVIIIe siècle, Augsburg University and the University of Oxford have generously contributed towards the publication of this volume.
The Société française d’étude du XVIIIe siècle, Augsburg University and the University of Oxford have generously contributed towards the publication of this volume.
The Idea of Europe: Enlightenment Perspectives
Texts selected by Catriona Seth and Rotraud von Kulessa. Translated by Catriona Seth et al. | June 2017
Open Book Classics Series, vol. 7 | ISSN: 2054-216X (Print); 2054-2178 (Online)
178 | 63 colour illustrations | 6.14" x 9.21" (234 x 156 mm)
ISBN Paperback: 9781783743780
ISBN Hardback: 9781783743797
ISBN Digital (PDF): 9781783743803
ISBN Digital ebook (epub): 9781783743810
ISBN Digital ebook (mobi): 9781783743827
DOI: 10.11647/OBP.0123
BIC and BISAC categories: DQ (Anthologies) | HP (Philosophy) | HPS (Social and political philosophy) | 1QFE (European Union) | LCO008000 (LITERARY COLLECTIONS / European) | PHI034000 (PHILOSOPHY / Social) | PHI019000 (PHILOSOPHY / Political) | HIS010000 (HISTORY / Europe)
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Preface
1. Friedrich Schiller, ‘Ode to Joy’
A Hymn for Europe
2. Maximilien de Béthune, duc de Sully, Memoirs
Henry IV of France’s Great Design
3. Charles-Irénée Castel de Saint Pierre, Project for Perpetual Peace in Europe
Europe: A Project for Peace
4. Jean-Jacques Rousseau, A Lasting Peace through the Federation of Europe
A Study of Abbé de Saint-Pierre’s Suggestions
5. Immanuel Kant, Perpetual Peace
Universal Peace
6. Charles-Irénée Castel de Saint Pierre, Project for Perpetual Peace in Europe
What Size should Europe Be?
7. Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Judgment on Perpetual Peace
The European Union: An Unrealistic Project?
8. Edward Gibbon, The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire
Seeing Beyond Borders
9. Louis de Jaucourt, ‘Europe’ in Diderot and D’Alembert’s Encyclopédie
Europe in the Encyclopédie
10. Diego de Torres Villarroel, The Fantastic Voyage of the Great Piscátor of Salamanca
The Geography of Europe
11. Anonymous, ‘Academy of History’ in Supplement to the Encyclopédie
History and Political Interests
12. Maximilien de Béthune, Duke of Sully, Memoirs
A Prototype for the European Parliament?
13. Charles-Irénée Castel de Saint Pierre, Project for Perpetual Peace in Europe
Europe and Islam
14. Voltaire, Essay on the Mores and the Spirit of the Nations
Europe’s True Wealth is its Cultural Heritage
15. Marie-Jean-Antoine-Nicolas de Caritat de Condorcet, Outlines of an Historical View of the Progress of the Human Mind
Making Rules to Bring About Peace
16. Charles-Irénée Castel de Saint Pierre, Project for Perpetual Peace in Europe
Our Russian Neighbour
17. Voltaire, The Century of Louis XIV
Christian Europe as a Great Republic?
18. Louis-Antoine Caraccioli, Paris, the Model of Foreign Nations, or French Europe
Unity in Diversity
19. Montesquieu, The Spirit of Laws
European Commerce
20. Charles-Irénée Castel de Saint Pierre, Project for Perpetual Peace in Europe
Religious Toleration
21. Louis-Antoine Caraccioli, Paris, the Model of Foreign Nations, or French Europe
The Riches of European Cuisine
22. Montesquieu, Persian Letters
Europe through Persian Eyes
23. Germaine de Staël, On Literature Considered in Relation to Social Institutions
Literature from the North to the South
24. François-Ignace d’Espiard de La Borde, The Spirit of Nations
Of National Characters
25. Louis-Antoine Caraccioli, Paris, the Model of Foreign Nations, or French Europe
Linguistic Diversity in Europe
26. August Wilhem Schlegel, Outline of the European Conditions of German Literature
The Role of Germany in European Culture
27. Gabriel-François Coyer, Voyage Through Italy and Holland
The Rape of Europa
28. Charles-Irénée Castel de Saint Pierre, Project for Perpetual Peace in Europe
An Economic Union
29. Charles de Villers, Constitutions of the Three Free-Hanseatic Towns, Lubeck, Bremen and Hambourg, with a Memorandum on the Rank these Towns should Occupy in Europe’s Commercial Organisation
A Common European Market
30. Stanislas Leszczynski, Conversation Between a European and an Islander from the Kingdom of Dumocala
The Empire of Reason
31. Tomás de Iriarte, Literary Fables
The Circulation of Riches
32. Louis-Antoine Caraccioli, Paris, the Model of Foreign Nations, or French Europe
European Sociability
33. Charles-Irénée Castel de Saint Pierre, Project for Perpetual Peace in Europe
The Safety of Europe’s Borders
34. Marie Leprince de Beaumont, The Young Ladies’ Magazine, Or Dialogues Between a Discreet Governess and Several Young Ladies of the First Rank Under Her Education
Colonial Europe
35. Louis-Jules Barbon Mancini-Mazarini-Nivernois, Duke of Nevers, Fables
Another Vision of Education
36. Louis-Antoine Caraccioli, Paris, the Model of Foreign Nations, or French Europe
The Importance of Trade
37. Johann Gottfried Herder, Ideas on the Philosophy of the History of Humanity
The Diversity and Unity of Europe
38. Françoise de Graffigny, Letters of a Peruvian Princess
A Critique of European Mores
39. David Hume, Political Discourses
European Civilisation
40. Louis-Antoine Muratori, Treatise on Public Happiness
The Progress of Justice in Europe
41. Louis-Antoine Caraccioli, Paris, the Model of Foreign Nations, or French Europe
Bringing Europeans together
42. Germaine de Staël, Corinne, or Italy
Italy and the Origins of European Culture
43. Marie-Anne du Boccage, Letters about England, Holland and Italy
Europe and French Fashion
44. Friedrich Schlegel, Journey to France
Europe Between Decline and Renewal
45. Charles-Irénée Castel de Saint Pierre, Project for Perpetual Peace in Europe
The Linguistic Wealth of Europe
46. Novalis, Christianity, or Europe
Spiritual Advent
47. Louis-Antoine Caraccioli, Paris, the Model of Foreign Nations, or French Europe
The Café: The European Place for Socialising
48. Johann Gottfried Herder, Ideas on the Philosophy of the History of Humanity
Happiness in Europe
49. Germaine de Staël, Germany
The Origins of European Unity
50. José Cadalso, Moroccan Letters
European Diversity Through the Foreign Gaze
51. William Robertson, The History of the Reign of the Emperor Charles V. With a View of the Progress of Society in Europe, from the Subversion of the Roman Empire, to the Beginning of the Sixteenth Century
Navigation and Commercial Exchanges
52. Johann Gottfried Herder, Ideas on the Philosophy of the History of Humanity
Europe and its Long History of Migration
53. William Robertson, The History of the Reign of Emperor Charles V
Union in Diversity
54. Diego de Torres Villarroel, ‘Sonnet’, in The Muse’s Distractions
Europe, A Political Whole
55. Louis-Antoine Caraccioli, Amusing and Moral Letters
What are Europeans like?
56. James Boswell, Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides
To Be Cosmopolitan
57. Louis-Antoine Caraccioli, Paris, the Model of Foreign Nations, or French Europe
French Style in Europe
58. David Hume, ‘Essay VII. Of the Balance of Power’
The Balance of Power and Future Peace
59. José Cadalso, Moroccan Letters
A Republic of the Wise
60. Jean-Charles-Léonard Simonde de Sismondi, Historical View of the Literature of the South of Europe
Europe’s Future in the Slow Lane
61. Germaine de Staël, Germany
The Union of Philosophers
62. Louis-Antoine-Léon de Saint-Just, Speech, 3 March 1794
A New Idea in Europe
63. Marie-Jean-Antoine-Nicolas de Caritat de Condorcet, Outlines of an Historical View of the Progress of the Human Mind
A Humanitarian Vision
64. Jean-François Melon, Political Essay on Commerce
Towards the Balance of Powers
65. Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Considerations on the Government of Poland
Towards Cultural Uniformity
66. José Cadalso, Moroccan Letters
Europe and Africa
67. Emmanuel Kant, Idea for a Universal History from a Cosmopolitan Point of View
Fulfilling Nature’s Aims
68. Napoleon Bonaparte, quoted by Emmanuel-Auguste-Dieudonné-Marius de Las Cases, Memorial of Saint-Helena
Governing Europe?
69. Marie-Jean-Antoine-Nicolas de Caritat de Condorcet, Outlines of an Historical View of the Progress of the Human Mind
Know the World and Make it a Better Place
70. Benjamin Constant, On the Spirit of Conquest and Usurpation in Respect of European Civilisation
An End to Wars in Europe?
71. Napoleon Bonaparte, quoted by Emmanuel-Auguste-Dieudonné-Marius de Las Cases, Memorial of Saint-Helena
Visions of the Future
72. José Cadalso, Letter from José Cadalso to Tomás de Iriarte
A Critique of Eurocentrism
73. Napoleon Bonaparte, quoted by Emmanuel-Auguste-Dieudonné-Marius de Las Cases, Memorial of Saint Helena
Political Hegemony and European Union
74. Alexandre-Frédéric-Jacques de Masson de Pezay, Helvetic, Alsatian and Franc-Comtois Vigils
Europe without Frontiers
75. Jean-Charles-Léonard Simonde de Sismondi, Historical View of the Literature of the South of Europe
Multiple Influences
76. Jean de Müller, ‘Letter 80’ (January 1778)
What Future for Europe?
77. Benjamin Constant, The Liberty of the Ancients Compared with that of the Moderns
The Character of Modern Exchanges
78. Pierre-Simon Laplace, An Exposition of the System of the World
Unity through Measures
79. Victor Hugo, The Rhine
The Franco-German Couple as the Pillars of Peace in Europe
Bibliography
© 2017 Catriona Seth and Rotraud von Kulessa
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Catriona Seth and Rotraud von Kulessa (eds.). The Idea of Europe: Enlightenment Perspectives. Cambridge, UK: Open Book Publishers, 2017, https://doi.org/10.11647/OBP.0123
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