Abstract
Europe is characterized by a unique path of social differentiation. The ‘two swords’—state and church—that structured western European society in the Middle Ages have since multiplied into six. Six cardinal institutions of society—the economy, government, science, religion, ethics, and art—each maintain a large measure of independence. Each is dependent on a special type of freedom: civic liberties, free trade, academic freedom, religious toleration, the right to follow one’s conscience, artistic licence. The modern Europeans are offered the opportunity to create self-chosen biographies in their quest for wealth, order, truth, salvation, virtue, and beauty. The success of the EC depends on finding a form that suits this mainstream of European structuration. The appropriate form seems closer to the model of ancient Athens that that of the Roman Empire. Public opinion plays a vital role in integrating this type of social order.
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