The State in European and American Perspective
Professor Hans Sluga presents a new lecture series from the IES Culture
and Society Colloquium, featuring distinguished speakers from both Europe and the United States.
The state and in particular the nation state have become increasingly problematic over the course
of the last century. The rapid globalization of world politics in this period has lead to the
formation of a multiplicity of supra-national organizations from military alliances like NATO, to
international bodies like the United Nations, from the Worldbank and the International Monetary Fund
to the European Union. All these bodies have been gaining power and importance over recent decades.
A large number of other supra-national and supra-state organizations are, in the meantime, under
construction all around the world.
For all that, the state and nation states still persist even thought their role in a future world
politics remains uncertain. Is the state likely to go on existing but with new and different functions?
Or will it eventually dissolve into other forms of political organizations? What, in any case, are the
benefits and the costs of a political order constructed around the state? Faced with such questions,
political theorists in both Europe and America have been increasingly concerned with the state, its
history and function, and likely further evolution.
Professor Hans Sluga heads the IES Culture and Society Colloquium, bringing in distinguished speakers
from both Europe in the United States. The theme of the colloquium for this semester is "The State in
European and American Perspective." Participants consider the question of the future viability of the
state as the pressures of globalization increase and as supranational institutions-taking on state
functions- proliferate and gain influence. Speakers for this series are Margaret Gilbert, Gary Gutting,
and Raymond Geuss.
