What Do We Mean by a "Strong Europe"?: Cultural Weakness of Eu Environmental Policy

The work focuses on the relationship between the dominant European worldview (understanding of the world, role of human society within natural environment) and the EU environmental policy. The institution of the EU is the defined perspective, while the specific policy area serves as a case study for testing the hypothesis. When the European worldview with respect to the ideas about nature and the role of civilization is characterized, special attention is paid to classical ancient thought, Christian thought, secular and progressivist thought, modern economic thought and the most recent movements. The book also discusses the problem of today's economic crisis and its relevance for the EU environmental regulation. Here, concentration is shifted from the past to the present. In the last part, the difference between the so-called conservative and transformative strength is explained. Analysis of the concept of strength and its revision is the core task of the work.