What does it mean to be a ‘European’?

Abstract

The paper explores the notion of Europeanism, asking the question: what does it mean to be a European? In much the same terms as in Michael Walzer's often-cited essay ‘What does it mean to be an American?’, Walzer's analysis will serve as a point of departure for a discussion of different conceptions of European self-understanding. Some points of contrast will be made between American hyphenated identities and European identity, conceived of in terms of a notion of cosmopolitanism.