Episode Overview

Podcast: New Books Network
Episode: Dag Nikolaus Hasse, "What Is European? On Overcoming Colonial and Romantic Modes of Thought" (Amsterdam UP, 2025)
Date: November 11, 2025
Host: Morteza Hajizadeh (Critical Theory Channel)
Guest: Dr. Dag Nikolaus Hasse, Professor of History of Philosophy, University of Würzburg

This episode explores Dr. Dag Nikolaus Hasse’s new book, which critically examines the popular concepts of “Europe” and “European.” The discussion focuses on overcoming entrenched colonial and romantic narratives, advocating for a more nuanced, historically grounded, and inclusive understanding of European identity. The conversation unpacks nationalist myth-making, persistent exclusions in mainstream definitions of Europe, and the risks of essentializing European culture.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Origins and Motivations for Writing the Book

[03:45–05:33]

• Hasse’s Background: Historian of philosophy and science, focusing on West Asia, North Africa, and Europe (ancient & medieval).
• Motivation: Noted dissonance between contemporary political/cultural discourse about Europe (as unitary, “essential”) and the region’s historically heterogeneous reality.
• Core Argument: Calls for a “decolonized” and “de-romanticized” conception of Europe, rejecting mythical unities rooted in the colonial (Enlightenment, reason, freedom) and romantic (fusion of Greek thought and Christianity) periods.

“Both these ideas are very, very prominent still in our discourse today. And I think they are problematic… these are historical trends that are still with us.” (Hasse, 07:50)

2. Myths, Exclusions, and Persistent Stereotypes

[08:40–13:56]

• Discussion of Myths: European identity is too often anchored to selective symbols (Acropolis, Bastille) and narratives that exclude (e.g., Eastern European, Muslim, Jewish, Orthodox, and other non-Midwestern influences).
• Problematic Narrowness: Politicians and intellectuals (Macron, Benedict XVI) propagate reductive, exclusionary versions of Europe.
• Universal Heritage: Hasse and the host agree on the importance of treating European culture as a human heritage, not a closed club:

  “You don't need to be born somewhere to be a lover and expert on Beethoven… It's done by humans, made for humans, and it's there to feel at home for everybody.” (Hasse, 12:36)

3. The Nature and Weakness of European Attachment

[13:56–16:20]

• Emotional Attachment: Perceived as weak among Europeans; Hasse suggests this is not true for real, lived experience, but rather that enthusiasm is weak for “narrow, elitist” visions of Europe.
• Critique of Essentialism: Warning against efforts to artificially rally emotional attachment to a superficial concept of Europe.

4. Historicizing European Identity

[16:20–20:25]

• Modern Invention: The idea of Europe as a political or cultural home is relatively new; “Europe” wasn’t commonly used as a collective identity term until the 17th century.
• Medieval Perspective: In the Middle Ages, “Europe” played second fiddle to “Asia,” which was seen as the seat of paradise and religious significance.

5. Expanding the Middle Ages Beyond Europe

[18:53–22:45]

• Global Middle Ages: Recognizes the importance of cities such as Cordoba, Isfahan, Baghdad, alongside the standard European canon. Challenges the notion of the Middle Ages as a solely European narrative.

6. Decentering Gothic Europe—Geography and Architecture

[46:31–48:55]

• Cities Beyond the Canon: Stresses the medieval importance of Cordoba (Muslim Spain), Constantinople (Byzantine/Orthodox, later Ottoman), and cultural centers outside Western Europe.

  “Cordoba and Constantinople were world cities where many people migrated to for many reasons… from the perspective of Constantinople, it’s the beginning of Europe." (Hasse, 44:15)

• Diversity in Sacred Architecture: Celebrates the diversity of medieval sacred architecture (Norwegian wooden churches, Granada’s mosques, Russian cathedrals), opposing the over-focus on Gothic cathedrals.

7. Enlightenment—European and Universal?

[23:46–28:36]

• Challenging Exclusivity: The Enlightenment is often incorrectly presented as a uniquely European phenomenon. Hasse argues for a more universal history of critical thought.

  “It would be very arrogant to claim that [critical thinking] is a European invention… People then say, 'Let’s export this critical thinking to other countries,'… that’s very strange.” (Hasse, 26:15–27:03)

• Dangers: Framing Enlightenment values as exclusively European promotes arrogance and exclusion.

8. Colonial Narratives and Lasting Impacts

[28:36–34:47]

• Rise of Eurocentric Superiority: During colonial times, narratives shift from Europe as “second-best” to “the best”—justifying imperial domination.
• Mutual Damage: Colonialism distorts both colonized and colonizer; arrogance and ignorance on the colonizers’ side persist.
• Counter-Voices: Highlights figures like Tatishchev (Russian), Al-Hajari (Muslim from Spain), and Kuneza (Jewish rabbi from Budapest) who challenge the “core” European mythos from within and without.

9. Decolonizing and Reimagining European Identity

[34:47–37:56]

• Decolonized Concept: Advocates using a geographical (not cultural) definition of Europe, considering the whole continent’s intellectual traditions, including Ottoman, Russian, and more.

  "A decolonized concept would be an advantage… to have a geographical concept that would be bottom up, basically what happened on the continent." (Hasse, 35:14)

10. The Romantic Mode: Critique and Risks

[37:28–42:07]

• Three Pillars Narrative: The romantic view posits Europe as the fusion of Greek philosophy, Christian religion, and Roman law.
• Hasse’s Critique: This model is ahistorical (many Greek/Roman thinkers lived outside “Europe”) and exclusionary (erases non-Christian, non-Western, secular, and other traditions).

  “Greek and Roman Callimachos or Ptolemais or Euclid, the mathematician, they all lived in Alexandria in Egypt. So why would you say… European culture started in Alexandria? That’s somehow a strange appropriation.” (Hasse, 39:45)

11. Shortcomings of Popular Definitions of ‘Europe’

[48:55–52:36]

• Braque, Kundera, Steiner: Each defines “Europe” through their preferred lens (Catholic/Latin intellectualism, secular rationalism, cafe-culture humanism). Hasse argues these self-identifications become unjustifiable universalizations.

12. Civic Obligation vs. Cultural Loyalty

[52:39–56:10]

• Main Thesis: Political communities should be based on structures of civic obligation and mutual rights, not tribal loyalty to a constructed cultural identity.
• Passion for Good Politics: True engagement comes from upholding rights, freedom, democracy—not mythologizing the past.

  "What we instead need… is a passion for good politics, for good arguments for solutions. And we can be very passionate about it. But it’s not because our past was great, or the past of our nation…" (Hasse, 53:20)

13. Methodology and Intellectual Positioning

[56:10–58:35]

• Beyond Jargon: Hasse avoids strict postcolonial or postmodern labels—prefers a critical, historicist approach that permits admiration for European traditions while recognizing their global entanglements and exclusions.

  "We can’t afford to be relativist in our times. We need to agree on arguments and political structures..." (Hasse, 57:12)

14. Lessons for Today: Historical Models for Pluralism

[60:45–65:49]

• Multicultural Cities as Models: Past European cities (Cordoba, Constantinople, Prague, Kiev) were effective, if imperfect, examples of coexistence—neither enforcing total assimilation nor demanding multicultural “melting pots.”
• Middle Way: Acknowledges enduring diversity, historical migration, and the dangers of both exclusionary assimilation and romanticized unity.

  "Migration and invasions and military successes and failures we have all over the place... there was always migration on European culture. There was no really indigenous people on European soil." (Hasse, 64:40)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On overcoming colonial/romantic modes:

  "I try to suggest in the book that it be sensible to… stop using these two cultural concepts and return to a more sober geographical concept when talking about Europe." (Hasse, 06:40)

• On emotional attachment vs. essentialism:

  “There's less emotional attachment to this very narrow kind of Elitist vision of what Europe is about.” (Hasse, 15:40)

• On medieval cities:

  “Cordoba and Constantinople were world cities where many people migrated… For many centuries… where many different religions, many different ethnic groups [lived side by side].” (Hasse, 43:45)

• On the arrogance bred by colonial narratives:

  “The experience of being a colonizer, changes also the colonizers… One major effect is arrogance. And you don't realize the cultural flourishing of other countries.” (Hasse, 29:50)

• On the risks of essentializing Europe:

  “It's a strange way to look at European culture… there are many other parts of the world that also studied Greek astronomy, for example… it's historically and geographically not correct.” (Hasse, 39:38)

• On the future of European identity:

  “A decolonized concept of Europe would be an advantage, I think.” (Hasse, 36:43)
  "Most often the loyalties we have are with a certain region, with our family, with a certain group of friends. But that's not what we need for state. A state is a much more pragmatic thing." (Hasse, 53:06)

Important Timestamps and Segments

| Timestamp | Segment Description | |------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------| | 03:45 | Hasse introduces his background and motivation | | 06:29 | Explains ‘colonial’ and ‘romantic’ modes of thought | | 10:31 | On persistent myths and exclusions in the idea of Europe | | 16:36 | Historicizing the concept of “Europe” | | 24:46 | Universality of Enlightenment—debunking exclusive narratives | | 28:36 | Colonial narratives and Eurocentric superiority | | 31:45 | Counter-voices: Eastern, Muslim, Jewish perspectives | | 34:47 | What a decolonized concept of Europe looks like | | 37:56 | Critique of the romantic “three pillars” model | | 43:21 | Centrality of Cordoba and Constantinople in medieval Europe | | 46:31 | Geographical spread of medieval sacred architecture | | 48:55 | Defining Europe—Braque, Kundera, Steiner, and their shortcomings | | 52:42 | Civic obligation vs. cultural loyalty in shaping identity | | 56:10 | Methodology: moving beyond jargon, embracing pluralism | | 62:36 | Lessons for troubled times: pluralism and multicultural histories |

Conclusion

This episode provides an accessible, historically rich, and rhetorically nimble discussion about European identity. Dr. Hasse’s perspective insists on complexity and pluralism, challenging both nationalist appropriations and academic over-simplifications. The conversation skillfully weaves past and present, demonstrating how a more geographically, historically, and culturally nuanced view of Europe can help counter contemporary crises of identity and exclusion.

Recommended for:

• Anyone interested in European identity, nationalism, postcolonial theory, or cultural history
• Listeners seeking a critical but constructive discussion of how history can inform contemporary debates about who “belongs” in Europe and what “European” means