UC Estudos Europeus I – AF2 / texto Rietbergen – ano lectivo 2009/2010

Actividade Formativa 2 (AF2)

Actividade: Leitura crítica e análise do texto 2
Competências: capacidade de análise e de leitura crítica
Objectivo: aproximação ao objecto de estudo, iniciação de uma reflexão sobre
o objecto de estudo.
A decorrer: de 13 a 19 de Outubro de 2009
Texto: RIETBERGEN, Peter (2006), Europe, A Cultural History (2ªed.), London
/ New York, Routledge, p. xxiv-xxvi.

But what, then is Europe if we may question calling it a continent and

attributing to it the specious security of a distinct geographical entity, as so
often happens, and if its culture is not a ‘natural fact’ either? If anything,
Europe is a political and cultural concept, invented and experienced by an
intellectual elite more especifically whenever there was cause to give a
more precise definition of the western edge of Eurasia, the earth’s largest
land mass. When was there cause to give such a definition? Often in a
moment or period of crisis, of confrontation. After all, it is only when self-
definition is necessary that people become self-reflective and describe their
own identity.
Thus, the question why the term and, even more so, the concept of
“Europe” was coined at all leads to another question: namely, when was it
first used, and by whom? Of course it is equally important to know what
was its content at different times in history, and for whom and in what way
it was a living reality.
[…]
Europe has been described first, as an Asian princess of that name,
subsequently, as a Greek demigoddess, and finally as the queen of the
world. Europe has been expressed metaphorically in images and words that
encode emotions. In short, Europe has been the result of ways of thinking,
of ideologies that actively contributed to the creation of realities. Europe
has even become an objective geographical concept. Because of all that,
Europe now is a more or less strongly felt bond between those living in it.
Europe is situated in that area of tension which links dream to deed,
thinking to doing. But it has always been and still is an excluding criterion
for those who want to distiniguish themselves from an outside world as
well.
[…]
Just as a landscape and our perspective of it change during a journey,
similarily, when we think about Europe its contours shift and its
characteristics rearrange themselves. For Europe is a series of world-views,
of peoples’ perspectives on their reality, sometimes only dreamt or desired,
sometimes experienced and relized as well.

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UC Estudos Europeus I – AF2 / texto Rietbergen – ano lectivo 2009/2010

Tal como a paisagem e a nossa perspectiva sobre ela vão mudando ao longo
de uma viagem, da mesma maneira, quando pensamos sobre a Europa, os
seus contornos vão mudando e as suas características vão-se rearranjando.
Porque a Europa é uma série de percepções do mundo, uma série de
perspectivas de povos sobre as sua(s) realidade(s), por vezes apenas
sonhadas ou desejadas, por vezes também experimentadas e concretizadas.
(Trad. minha)

Bom trabalho!
Katja