Europe conquered, colonised and revolutionised the world despite being politically and culturally fragmented. Now, faced with the threat of decline, it seeks to overcome the fragmentation through the consolidation and expansion of the European Union, but different ideas about what a united Europe should be like continue to divide the participants in the European project. These differences have deep historical roots, as indeed does the European idea itself. They reflect the ambiguities of defining "Europe" between geographical boundaries, cultural identities, religious beliefs, political power, military security and economic interests, between local, regional, national and imperial loyalties. Traces the historical origins of the European idea, examines the various concepts of Europe used through the centuries and discusses their relevance to the contemporary difficulties of the European Union.

At the completion of this course, students will have a solid understanding of the variety and complexity of meanings attached to concepts of 'Europe' from antiquity to today.