Die Bedeutung von Plessners „Grenzschrift“ für die Europäische Integration. Distanz als Voraussetzung politischer Verständigung

Abstract

The meaning of Plessner “Grenzschrift” for European integration. Distance as prerequisite for mutual political understanding. European integration is examined in the light of ‘the limits of the community’. Plessner’s anthropological analysis is so fundamental that it is more relevant today than ever. At the time, it referred to the nation state. In Europe, this has since evolved into the EU Member State. European law is now being shaped beyond the nation.

Plessner’s juxtaposition of the community ethos and the societal ethos touches on the very core of European integration. Only under the banner of the societal ethos can EU citizens feel an equal sense of belonging to both their nation of origin and the European Union. In the community ethos, by contrast, the fusion of the nation into a collective body is inherent. Such an identity complicates membership of the European Union.

These considerations are summarized under the heading of ‘distance’. In the author’s view, distance represents an indispensable prerequisite for mutual political understanding.