臺灣東亞文明研究學刊 - 東亞經典與文化研究計畫 - 國立臺灣大學

214 Taiwan Journal of East Asian Studies, Vol. 4, No. 2 (Iss. 8), Dec., 2007
European identity and he said: "Ruins are the unprepossessing but yet indispensable
fundament" of Europe. 5
Based on this common negative historical experience the Europeans developed
the common will for peace by merging their economies and by economically and
later on politically relativizing their national sovereignty.
It is this awareness of a burden of the past, which is bringing about a new
quality of historical culture in Europe. The Europeans are deeply convinced that
they have to change all those attitudes of identity formation, which have led into the
catastrophes of the 20th century. Let's look at the elements in concern. Among the
foremost we'll find identity and the question is, whether identity can be a source of
conflict, struggle and even war. The answer to this question is, of course, a clear
'yes', and as you all know that is not only true for Europe, but for most if not all
traditional modes of historical identity formation. The reason lie in the way
traditionally historical identity is brought about in cultural processes, which follow
the logic of ethnocentrism. 6 It was ethnocentrism in the form of a nationalistic
conceptualization of historical identity, which contributed to the European
catastrophe. Therefore in the ongoing processes of creating a future directed
European historical identity we can observe strong tendencies of overcoming this
ethnocentrism.
5 Adolf Muschg, Was ist Europäisch? Reden für einen gastlichen Erdteil (München: C. H. Beck,
2005), p. 16.
6 Cf. Jörn Rüsen, "How to Overcome Ethnocentrism: Approaches to a Culture of Recognition by
History in the 21st Century," Taiwan Journal of East Asian Studies, 1, 1 (June, 2004) pp. 59-74;
also in History and Theory, 43 (2004), pp. 118-129; "Tradition and Identity: Theoretical
Reflections and the European Example," Taiwan Journal of East Asian Studies, 1, 2, (Dec., 2004),
pp. 135-158.
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