Europe: A New Perspective

by Robert Steuckers

Robert Steuckers analyzes the conflict between European peoples and the external systems that have governed them, arguing for a Third Way that rejects ideological domination, promotes regional autonomy, and seeks to reclaim Europe’s geopolitical and cultural independence.

This essay was originally published in The Scorpion, issue 9, spring 1986.

Firstly, can we establish that there is a “European history” and if there is, in what way do we see it? As a history of the European peoples or as a history of the structures which have ruled over the territories today considered to be part of Europe? The question may appear novel, complex or even purposeless. The seeming simplicity of the question disguises a real complexity. The novelty of the question may be overshadowed if we do not understand the purpose we have in posing it.

To pose the paradigm of European history we immediately confront a choice: are we for peoples or for structures? For peoples or for systems? Through this crucial opposition we can arrive at an understanding of the antithesis of philosophy and of the history of political ideas. The word peoples can here be replaced by the word mythos and the word structures by the word logos. The one implies an awakening of the ‘irrational’ within, the mobilisation by means of a sense of history and destiny. The other implies a ‘rational’ management. On the other hand, it is possible to defend peoples by referring to a logos which transcends all institutions which have become unjust despite their rooted origins. Reversing the coin we can defend structures by creating artificial or alien myths. The fact is, however, that structures are ephemeral and peoples survive the structures imposed upon them.