Peter Sloterdijk
The Continent without qualities
Inhabited by half a billion people, a coveted refuge for countless migrants, Europe has been searching since the end of the Second World War for a new definition for itself and its peoples. In the form of the European Union, it has achieved a political improvisation that was not foreseen in the scenarios of world history. This quasi-continent has created a large political body which, despite its vast dimensions, has neither the convictions nor the posture of an empire.
In such a situation, those who dedicate themselves to the mission of rethinking Europe must be aware that they will have to formulate concepts for a political and cultural novelty whose existence is still largely unknown. Will this " continent without qualities " be able to overcome the temptations of skepticism, nihilism and self-regulation to forge a new identity ?
French text prepared in collaboration with Olivier Mannoni.
Sloterdijk P., Le Continent sans qualités, Paris, Collège de France, coll. " Leçons inaugurales ",no 332, 2025.
