Higher education plays a vital role in the sharing of the identity and culture of Europe and therefore receives considerable attention from scholars and policy makers. This volume is different in that it brings a philosophical perspective to the debate on higher education in Europe. As a work of applied philosophy, it reflects on changes in European identity with the development of the European Union after the fall of the Berlin Wall and considers the reciprocal relationship between these changes and higher education. By uncovering the unavoidable philosophical problems embedded in policies, the book sets out both to provide a clearer understanding of the current situation of higher education in Europe and to contribute to its development. It attempts to redefine the democratic basis of higher education in the light of social and political change in the evolving European society.

Paul Standish is Senior Lecturer in the Institute for Education and Lifelong Learning at the University of Dundee.

Chapter 1. The Idea of the European Dimension
Chapter 2. The Challenge of Multiculturalism
Chapter 3. The Response to the Economic Demands
Chapter 4. Situating the Individual and Society in European Higher Education
Chapter 5. Higher Education in a European Context: Some Recommendations and Conclusions