Resisting the empire From balance in Europe to the federal republic

This contribution highlights the different models bequeathed by the Enlightenment, which for the first time considers Europe as a political body and as a cultural entity, Within this legacy the “Kantian way” is today the keystone of philosophical debates. In the wake of Kant, Europe is often interpreted as an experiment in cosmopolitanism. However, because of its scope and its theoretical legitimacy, this Kantian source neglects other theories likely to shed light on the political form which is appropriate for the European Union, those of Montesquieu and Rousseau in particular.