Rethinking Europe: Beyond Classifications and Towards New Paradigms, with Nadege Ragaru
In her latest article, entitled “Elastic and Explosive Europe at a Time of War: How Can We Rethink European Cleavages and Linkages?” CNRS Research Professor Nadège Ragaru invites us to rethink our approaches to understanding Europe, encouraging a shift away from rigid classifications and towards more fluid and adaptive modes of analysis. As Europe continues to evolve, so too must our methods of interpreting its complexities, paving the way for a more nuanced and comprehensive understanding of the continent’s political and societal landscapes.
The paper touches upon several critical themes, including the rise of the Far Right, the impact of hybrid warfare, and the role of social media platforms in shaping societal narratives. Ragaru’s work underscores the need for innovative approaches to comprehend these complex dynamics, which defy traditional categorisations.
Professor Ragaru argues that the conventional methods of knowledge production, inherited from the 18th century, are no longer adequate for understanding the contemporary European landscape. The era we live in is characterised by its elasticity and explosiveness, demanding new ways of thinking that go beyond simple classifications of democracies versus authoritarian regimes or alignments reminiscent of the Cold War.
She answers our question on the notion of elasticity:
Nadège Ragaru: “Scholars in the social sciences tend to use metaphors borrowed from the world of ‘sciences (physics, in particular) to give substance, body and visual representation to the ideas and concepts they formulate. The notion of a ‘field’ (from the physics of electromagnetic fields) has had a rich posterity. Drawing on the work of Zygmunt Bauman1, references to liquidity have blossomed. Elasticity seemed heuristic to me for three reasons.
1. Elasticity makes it possible to convert one form of energy into another, i.e. to transform potential energy into kinetic energy, to move from the immobile to the mobile. If the gesture is skilfully performed, this movement takes place without tearing the elastic band. In using this metaphor, I wished to suggest that such as choice – being prompted into action in the context of the Russian invasion of Ukraine – was graphically and politically obvious.
2. In terms of mechanical physics, the idea of elastic relaxation (tension, extension, deformation) does not contradict that of a return of the elastic material to its initial conditions and shapes.
3. It was therefore a double-relaxation metaphor —if you allow me this play on words—leaving readers the option of dwelling on point 1, or 2, or both. Resorting to this image also reflected a certain vision of writing in the social sciences. In writing, I believe we may wish to invite readers to freely and diversely appropriate the open paths, or even to refuse to take them.”
The article is available online, on the journal’s website: Piron
Illustration: Explosion (1927), Paul Klee. Public Domain artwork.
- 1. Zygmund Bauman, Liquid Modernity, Polity Press, 2000
