Europa nach Nietzsche: Integration ohne Identität

Bertino ponders the question of identity for Europeans and whether it requires a strong identity, comparable with national identities. It is based on a reconstruction of Nietzsche’s idea of the fundamental ambivalence of the democratic process, which nonetheless remains irresistible. While creating a European culture that affirms difference and fosters individuality - which is Nietzsche’s aim - requires dispensing with national limitations, democracy problematically levels individuals. Bertino emphasizes the historical and pluralistic view “good Europeans” adopt, and the ironical distance with which they consider determinations of their own identity.