Généalogie des perceptions Est-Ouest

les risques du Cercle Herméneutique

Abstract

This article deals with perception issues of Western Europe towards Eastern Europe. À vast and abundant literature already tackles this issue, putting forward the mental construction of representations concerning Eastern and Western Europe. Encompassing as it may be, this literature suffers two limits. First, it lacks an analytical framework which would help treating the question rigorously. Second, it does not draw political conclusions of this biased perceptions for the real world. This article uses hermeneutics to offer analytical tools (the comprehension circle in particular) and to understand political crises that the European Union (EU) faced recently. Such an approach gives the possibility to understand the weight of perceptions and the structures of comprehension, and their role in the failures experienced by the EU.