Learning goals

Some themes in European history History of the EU

Political theories of European The nature of understanding and
integration explanation
The demarcation(separation) The empirical(factual)cycle
between science and non-science
Economic efficiency and Pareto- Transaction costs
improvements
Externalities Absolute and comparative
advantages
Welfare and distribution effects of The value of money
free trade
Costs and benefits of monetary The basis of law in social reality
integration
Sovereignty Euroscepticism
Dual system decision making Evolutionary psychology

Task 1.1: Integrated society

Since this course has European Integration as its connecting theme, we should
first address the question what ‘integration’ means in connection with society.
Questions that need to be discussed in this regard are what it means for a society
to be integrated, and which factors promote or impede integration. How does this
apply to Europe? Is there a European ‘we’?

Task 1.2: (Dis)integrative factors in the history of Europe

Which historical developments helped or impeded the shaping of Europe as a

society? Make an overview of the various developments mentioned in the readings
and feel free to add any other developments that you consider important in this
respect.

Task 1.3: ‘You Don’t Know what the EU is’

For a long time now, scholars struggle about the best way to conceive the
European Union. The EU is certainly a Union among different States, but of which
kind exactly? Is the EU a federation? What is a federation? Is the EU a federal
union? What is a federal union? Or is the EU rather something entirely unique that
does not fit well in any of the previously known categories of political
arrangements? Why?
Task 1.4: The explanation of European integration

Neofunctionalism and Intergovernmentalism are the two main explanatory

theories about European integration or the lack thereof. Sometimes they are
depicted as competitors, with Intergovernmentalism showing why
Neofunctionalism is false. They can also be interpreted as supplementary, with
Intergovernmentalism pointing out where Neofunctionalism stops being
satisfactory. Explain the differences between Neofunctionalism and
Intergovernmentalism and discuss the relation between these two theories by
means of the Empty Chair crisis.