European Dispute over the Concept of Man: A Study in Political Anthropology (Contributions to Political Science)

The book represents original research in a field of study rarely pursued while analysing the intellectual dimensions of disputes over ethically sensitive issues that occur in European Union politics. These disputes are generally analysed at ideological, ethical, economic and interstate levels. However, these references do not suffice in understanding the issue, which is related to a divergent perception of the essence of humanity and thus the subject matter of anthropology. The main research objective of the monograph is therefore to reconstruct the sources and the specific European Union way of thinking about the human being. Methodologically, the book expands the understanding of political anthropology within political science and presents a range of suitable instruments for pursuing anthropological research. At the theoretical level, it proposes an anthropological typology of the main currents of European political thought and reveals their prominence for the anthropological orientation of the EU's axiology. Empirically, it provides an analysis of the anthropological features of European Union institutions and policies in addition to discussing the relation between the axiological and anthropological positions of the main political and national groups within the EU. Contents List of Abbreviations List of Figures List of Tables List of Diagrams Chapter 1: Introduction Part I: Political Anthropology and Studies in Political Science Chapter 2: Anthropologies and Their Relationships 2.1 Four Anthropologies 2.1.1 Physical Anthropology 2.1.2 Cultural Anthropology 2.1.3 Philosophical Anthropology 2.1.4 Theological Anthropology 2.2 Relationships Between Anthropologies 2.2.1 Extreme Models 2.2.2 Integrating Models Chapter 3: Political Anthropologies 3.1 Political Anthropology as a Subdiscipline of Cultural Anthropology 3.1.1 Classical Political Anthropology 3.1.2 Contemporary Political Anthropology 3.1.2.1 Continental Anthropology: ``Studying Up ́ ́ 3.1.2.2 Anglo-Saxon Anthropology: Studying Through 3.2 Political Anthropology as a Form of Philosophical Anthropology 3.2.1 The Genesis and Goal of Political Anthropology 3.2.2 The Methodology and Theory of Man 3.2.3 The Politics of Anthropology 3.3 Political Anthropology and Theological Anthropology 3.3.1 The Anthropological Turn of Christianity 3.3.2 Capacity for Moral Knowledge and Law as the Foundation of State 3.3.3 Original Sin and the Place of Religion in a Political Community Chapter 4: Towards a Politological Approach to Political Anthropology 4.1 Studies in Political Science and the Anthropological Question 4.1.1 The Subject Matter of Studies in Political Science 4.1.2 Methodological Currents in Political Studies 4.2 System Perspective 4.2.1 The Essence of the System Approach 4.2.2 Applications of the System Approach in Political Science 4.3 Towards In-Depth System Analysis 4.3.1 Culture in System Analysis 4.3.2 The Methodological Perspective and Time Frame 4.3.3 Research Methodology 4.3.3.1 Research Techniques of the Anthropological Dimension of Political Ideas 4.3.3.2 Research Techniques of the Anthropological Dimension of EU Politics Part II: The Anthropological Dispute in European Political Thought Chapter 5: Two Visions of Politics and Two Visions of Man 5.1 The Constrained and Unconstrained Vision of Politics 5.2 Anthropological Sources of Political Visions 5.2.1 Constrained Anthropology 5.2.2 Unconstrained Anthropology 5.3 The Strengths and Weaknesses of Thomas Sowell ́s Theory Chapter 6: Constrained Anthropology 6.1 Towards an Adequate Theory of Constraint 6.2 The Experience of Antiquity 6.3 The Christian Tradition 6.3.1 The Value of Life and the Equality of Personal Dignity 6.3.2 Sexuality and Marriage 6.3.3 Man ́s Rational and Social Nature 6.4 Liberal Interpretation Chapter 7: Unconstrained Anthropology 7.1 Atomistic Anthropology of the ``State of Nature ́ ́ 7.2 Fluid Humanity 7.2.1 The Lost Boundary 7.2.2 The Ideal of Authenticity 7.3 Rationalism Instead of Rationality 7.3.1 Utilitarianism as the Abolition of Morality 7.3.2 Rationalism Outside of the Structure of Sense 7.4 Collectivist Anthropology 7.5 Initial Conclusions Chapter 8: The Anthropology of Late Modernity 8.1 The Anthropological Relevance of Nihilism 8.2 Man as an Exchangeable Value 8.3 A New Concept of Sexuality 8.4 Summary 8.4.1 Constrained Anthropology 8.4.2 Unconstrained Anthropology Part III: EU Political Disputes in the Anthropological Perspective Chapter 9: Around Morality Policy 9.1 The Processual Approach to Morality Policy 9.1.1 Morality Policy and the Behavior of Political Actors 9.1.2 Morality Policy and Participation 9.1.3 Ways of Explaining Functional Anomalies 9.2 The Substantive Approach to Morality Policy 9.2.1 Morality Policy: Lacking Substance? 9.2.2 Two Approaches to the Essence of Morality Policy 9.2.3 A Synthesis of Two Substantive Approaches 9.3 Anthropological Models and the Language of Morality Policy 9.3.1 Bioethical Discourses 9.3.1.1 Two Standpoints 9.3.1.2 Two Languages 9.3.2 Discourses About Sexuality 9.3.2.1 Stances on Homosexuality 9.3.2.2 Different Ways of Understanding Sex 9.4 Primary Morality Policies and EU Competences 9.4.1 Bioethical Issues 9.4.2 The Issues of Sexuality and Marriage Chapter 10: Anthropological Pillars of European Politics 10.1 The Anthropology of Human Rights 10.1.1 Dignity: A Pillar of the Anthropology of Human Rights 10.1.1.1 The Right to Life as a (Fundamental) Dignity Right 10.1.1.2 Dignity and Other Anthropological ``Data ́ ́ 10.1.2 Marriage in the Logic of Human Rights 10.1.3 Anthropology of Human Rights and Anthropological Models 10.2 Anthropology of Fundamental Rights in the European Union 10.2.1 The Anthropological Bases of EU Axiology 10.2.1.1 The Charter of Fundamental Rights 10.2.1.2 Treaty on European Union 10.2.2 Rights in the Logic of Compromise 10.2.3 The Anthropology of Fundamental Rights and Anthropological Models Chapter 11: Anthropological Analysis of the Language and Contents of EU Documents 11.1 Quantitative Perspective 11.2 Qualitative Analysis: Bioethical Issues 11.2.1 Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights 11.2.2 Abortion 11.2.3 The Beginning of Human Life 11.3 Qualitative Analysis: Sexuality and Sexual Behavior 11.3.1 Gender 11.3.2 Sexual Orientation 11.3.3 Homophobia 11.4 Initial Conclusions on the Anthropological Orientation of the European Union Chapter 12: Anthropological Analysis of EU Decision-Making Processes 12.1 Bioethical Aspects of the 7th Framework Programme 12.1.1 European Commission Proposal 12.1.2 Position of the European Parliament 12.1.3 Position of the Council of the European Union 12.2 European Commission ́s Policy on the Protection of Human Life in the Prenatal Phase 12.2.1 European Commission and Pro-Life/Pro-Choice Funding 12.2.2 European Commission and the Prohibition of Funding the Destruction of Embryos 12.3 Horizontal Anti-discrimination Directive 12.3.1 European Commission Proposal 12.3.2 Position of the European Parliament 12.3.3 Position of the Council of the European Union 12.4 Two Areas of Primary Morality Policies in Three Reports of the European Parliament 12.4.1 Edite Estrela ́s Report 12.4.2 Christina Zuber ́s Report 12.4.3 Urlike Lunacek ́s Report 12.5 Abortion in Humanitarian Policy: A Process-Tracing Analysis 12.5.1 Starting Point: EU Position on the Congo Homicide 12.5.2 Reorientation of the Debate: the Role of UK and Ambiguity of the EU Commission 12.5.3 The Parliament ́s Pro-Abortion Stance 12.5.4 Political Pressures on the European Commission 12.5.5 A Change in the EU Position Chapter 13: Conclusion Bibliography Political Documents and Legal Acts Sources of Voting and Statistical Data Other Sources and Research Papers Journal Publications, Information Materials and Press Releases Information on the Methodology and Interlocutors of In-Depth Interviews [IDI] Interlocutors