The Ruins of a Myth or a Myth in Ruins? Freedom and Cohabitation in Central Europe

Three defining features of Central Europe are discussed – a distinct oppositional experience under communism, a distinct role of intellectual tradition, and a distinct experience with modernity. On this basis, there seems to be prima facie evidence that, in a simplified way, four distinct mindsets or perceptions of the political and the role of political power in society can be detected throughout the region, i.e., the idea of anti-political politics, an anti- or post-foundational view of politics, a (cosmopolitan) valorization of multiplicity and cultural diversity, and an endorsement of dissent. The rest of the chapter will discuss these four components of a possible Central European political culture. The idea is that these four components might form the ruins that inform present-day views on democratic politics, not only in the region but also elsewhere (cf. Cohen and Arato 1992; Isaac 2004). In the conclusions, some suggestions will indeed be made as to how these ruins of Central Europe might speak to contemporary views on democracy. Ultimately, it is not clear, however, whether we can speak of the ruins of a myth (as building blocks for the present and future) or a myth in ruins (in that it can be argued that not much is left of the Central European politico-cultural heritage).