European Ways of Life: Legal and Philosophical Perspectives

by Luigi Corrias (Editor), Ronald Tinnevelt (Editor)

Overview

This insightful book considers how we might conceptualize European ways of life. It critically examines the political, legal and social implications of European values in the face of challenges such as climate change, war and global insecurity.

Luigi Corrias and Ronald Tinnevelt bring together distinguished scholars from diverse academic backgrounds to analyze pressing issues such as the fate of European cooperation, the rule of law, and sustainability. The book identifies ways in which European law and politics interact within the process of integration, discussing the persecution and abandonment of refugees as well as the fight against illiberal democracies. It outlines European histories of colonialism and imperialism, delving into the role of the European intellectual in the age of technical reason. The book also explores how familial structures and the notion of security can be attributed to the formulation of European ideals.

Designed for students and academics in European law and politics, the book provides unique insights and novel frameworks for understanding the complex dynamics of the EU. It is also beneficial to policymakers and practising lawyers.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781035307678
Publisher:	Edward Elgar Publishing
Publication date:	09/28/2025
Pages:	282
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 9.25(h) x (d)

About the Author

Edited by Luigi Corrias, Faculty of Law, VU University Amsterdam and Ronald Tinnevelt, Faculty of Law, Radboud University, the Netherlands

Table of Contents

Contents
1 Introduction: rethinking European integration through ways of life 1
Luigi Corrias and Ronald Tinnevelt
PART I EUROPE, VALUES AND IDENTITY
2 The virtues of plurality and abstraction. On why it is easier to
legitimize the European Project by using values rather than
an identity, civilization or way of life 23
Wim Weymans
3 Philosophy as a European way of life and the role of the
European intellectual in the age of technical reason 43
Darian Meacham and Francesco Tava
4 ‘The European Way of Life’ as a nightmare for others in the
‘Anthropocene’ 63
Yolande Jansen
PART II IDEALS
5 Equality and common values: a liberal argument 85
Pavlos Eleftheriadis
6 Just Europe? Epistemic justice and the rhetoric of a European
way of life 107
Andrew Williams
7 Fighting illiberal democracy with the rule of law: the
European Union’s legalistic approach to constitutional
backsliding in Hungary 127
Maarten Stremler
PART III THEMES
8 Refugees’ abandonment: beyond persecution 149
Shahin Nasiri
9 War and peace in Europe 171
Beatrice Heuser
10 European way of life and the security dimension 195
Ester Herlin-Karnell
11 European ways of life: sustainability 213
Karen Morrow
12 Marriage and the family 235
Jens Scherpe
13 Primum non nocere? The European way of life and the
building of a European Health Union 253
Henri de Waele

Editorial Reviews

‘Europeans may have rejected the opportunity to have a Constitution to protect, but perhaps they have a “way of life” that needs defending. The academics who contribute to this volume argue against this idea, presenting European identity not as something given that needs protecting but as an interminable question, with Europe understood as an experimental site for the contestation of values in a spirit of self-reflection. Central to such reflection and central to the discussions in this fascinating and thought-provoking book is whether the very idea of a European way of life is a euphemism for an Imperial mode of life that still shapes everything, or whether the European way of war that forged Europe’s history provides it with a distinctive legacy of ambitious attempts to secure peace and justice.’

Simon Glendinning