What is the (pan)-European identity?

[amadeus]

I was reading about the Erasmus program, and then it jogged my brain about Oswald Mosley—after the war, he wanted a united European state. I’m sure most fans of the United Europe project are not seeking one in the mold he would have so wished.

But what is behind it?

What is a European?
What does it mean to be a European?
And who is not a European?

Most of the discussion I see centers around it being a strategic bloc.

 

[sylvanllewelyn]

Death penalty. It splits Asian and European. Not East and West, not South and North.

Fundamental differences in concepts of justice and morality.

 

[Klaus Hergersheimer]

There's a line in the novel version of The Dogs of War that got a chuckle out of me. It went something like: "After that, he did the very European thing of sitting at an outdoor cafe and watching the world go by"

 

[Thorgalaeg]

European in a broad sense anyone who has inherited European languages, religion, culture, aesthetic, philosophy, etc. Therefore Europeans are not only people in Europe but also, Canada, USA and LatAm, same for Australia, NZ and others, also Russia which is basically the aborted child of Europe living eastward Poland. No Europeans would be Africans, Chinese, Japan, Korea, Middle East, India, southwest Asia and few more.

 

[Ordnael]

Living in a secular European country where everybody can claim human rights as granted. Most of Asia, Africa and South Africa inhabitants can't claim of these rights.

 

[Tee Kay]

Realistically?

- Living in a subcontinent or its outlying islands, geographically north of the Mediterranean Sea, east of variously the Dardanelles, the Black Sea, and a line bearing approximate north from the Sea of Azov
- Having a certain skin tone and physiological features
- Historically, being Christian, though now this has largely been displaced by a different religion (need a good name for it, but something about democracy or human rights or some such)

For a while the second definition looks like it was on track to become obsolete but recent voting patterns suggest this is still a live debate. Could still happen in the future.

 

[Josu]

It is not a clear concept as it's a melting-pot identity based in a range of social ideas that arose in Europe during Age of Enlightenment, such as liberty, natural law, progress, humand rights and all this kind of sutff

 

[Arwon]

I think it's mostly about having weird little bathroom fixtures

 

[Ordnael]

I think it's mostly about having weird little bathroom fixtures

I am curious
Please elaborate

 

[EnglishEdward]

I was reading about the Erasmus program, and then it jogged my brain about Oswald Mosley—after the war, he wanted a united European state. I’m sure most fans of the United Europe project are not seeking one in the mold he would have so wished.

Oswald Mosley is probably not the best starting point.

But what is behind it?

The deep blue sea and the rest of Asia

What is a European?

Someone who is born in the European sub-continent.

What does it mean to be a European?

Something different for each European.

And who is not a European?

I am not a European.

I am English.

 

[Klaus Hergersheimer]

I am curious
Please elaborate

I dunno but I was in a hotel in Strasbourg where the shower had some glass splash guard thing instead of a curtain, and I thought no wonder these people lost to the Germans...

 

[Thorgalaeg]

Something different for each European.

I am English.

Being English means something different for each English.

 

[Plains-Cow]

If WW2 was an absolute nightmare for your civilization/country/family and rekt your infrastructure and you live west of the Ural Mountains, then you're European. Including @EnglishEdward

 

[Ordnael]

I dunno but I was in a hotel in Strasbourg where the shower had some glass splash guard thing instead of a curtain, and I thought no wonder these people lost to the Germans...

My shower has a wall sized glass panel over the splash area...is this a weird bathroom fixture!?

 

[Klaus Hergersheimer]

It's like one pane of glass on a hinge. Something that looks like this I found online:
What the heck is that?

 

[notNamed]

If WW2 was an absolute nightmare for your civilization/country/family and rekt your infrastructure and you live west of the Ural Mountains, then you're European. Including @EnglishEdward

I knew there was something off about the Swiss. Damn aliens in the heart of Europe.
Sweden, Portugal, somewhat Ireland, Slovakia, Vatican,...

Don't forget to properly define what is and is not European history. Like the following:

Something-something Benedict Anderson something-something I know this is supposed to be a humorous thread but just in case someone is actually interested...

 

[Ordnael]

It's like one pane of glass on a hinge. Something that looks like this I found online:
What the heck is that?

Maybe that hinge opens.
My glass goes from the ground almost to the ceiling, no hinges as it only covers the splash area and I stand on a flat base slab! I love it

 

[Gori the Grey]

- Historically, being Christian, though now this has largely been displaced by a different religion (need a good name for it, but something about democracy or human rights or some such)

"Secular humanism" is the term I most often hear.

 

[Kyriakos]

I knew there was something off about the Swiss. Damn aliens in the heart of Europe.
Sweden, Portugal, somewhat Ireland, Slovakia, Vatican,...

Don't forget to properly define what is and is not European history. Like the following:

Something-something Benedict Anderson something-something I know this is supposed to be a humorous thread but just in case someone is actually interested...

"Evropi" must be the most hideous latinization of Ευρώπη. I guess it was too hard to latinize it literally by replacing letter by letter with latin, as Europe. I am sure it was intentional, and still hyperplebian.

As for what "european" is; largely it is an idea that you have common ground with ancient Greece and Rome. Which isn't false, given that arts/science developed from there and you will use it to some degree even if you suck.

 

[EnglishEdward]

Maybe that hinge opens.

My shower has a sliding door.