Introduction
Contemporary Europe is grappling with a profound crisis of normative capacity—the ability to justify its own values and principles. This phenomenon, described by Douglas Murray as the tyranny of penitence, paralyzes state institutions, turning prudent self-criticism into destructive self-doubt. This article analyzes why the European model of integration is failing against global benchmarks and what steps are necessary to avoid civilizational self-destruction. You will learn how cultural differences affect state stability and why multiculturalism has become an ideological trap.
Global Models: Asia, Africa, and the American Civic Creed
Unlike Europe, other regions of the world maintain cohesion through clear normative centers. The East Asian model is based on a synthesis of technical modernization with an unwavering Confucian ethical core. There, migration is merely an instrument of the state, not a source of new identity. In Africa, meanwhile, pluralism is not a moral project but a necessity arising from the fragility of states, where tribal and religious ties—rather than abstract law—remain the foundation of trust.
North America is a unique case, building its myth on contractual citizenship. In the USA, immigration is treated as an act of "conversion" and a declaration of loyalty to the Constitution and shared symbols. Citizenship there requires a cultural initiation, which stands as a rational contrast to European self-flagellation. Europe, meanwhile, dismantles its own legitimacy before a newcomer even crosses its threshold—a state Murray calls existential weariness.
The Aporias of Multiculturalism: Migration as Fact vs. Ideology
The key to understanding the crisis lies in distinguishing migration (the flow of people) from the doctrine of multiculturalism. The latter assumes the equivalence of all ethical orders, leading to a logical contradiction (aporia). If all norms are equal, state law loses its foundational status and becomes a subject of negotiation. This creates a so-called market of representation, where identity brokers bid for privileges, destroying civic equality and generating parallel societies.
The lack of a common legal canon generates enormous transaction costs—state resources are diverted toward mediating cultural conflicts instead of development. For the system to function, common law must have absolute primacy over particularisms. Without a clearly defined center, pluralism ceases to be an asset and becomes a mosaic of impenetrable, mutually hostile worlds.
Demographics and the Four Corrections: From Gesture Morality to Hard Rules
The demographic narrative, promising salvation for an aging Europe, resembles a Ponzi scheme—each new group of migrants will eventually age, necessitating an even larger influx. This leads to the destabilization of the normative order and the erosion of public trust. The solution is not an "external supply of youth," but the reconstruction of internal vectors: family and a sense of purpose. Murray warns that the paradox of hospitality without boundaries leads to the community's vulnerability.
Recomposing the order requires four fundamental corrections: 1. Revealing the hidden assumptions of migration policy. 2. Returning to the language of proportionality of duties. 3. The absolute primacy of common law. 4. Long-term integration based on a work ethic and language. Effective management requires three apparatuses: a narrative of one's own identity, clear rules for receiving guests, and the ability to self-limit the influx. Europe must move from a morality of the empty gesture (such as the slogan "Wir schaffen das") to the primacy of the hard rule.
Summary
Will Europe, lost in self-criticism, find the strength to redefine the conditions of hospitality? Can it combine openness with the defense of its own values before the dream of diversity turns into a nightmare of conflict? Douglas Murray’s diagnosis of "suicide" need not be a final sentence, but a final warning. The condition for recovery is the rejection of the culture of doubt and the courage to ensure the word "home" once again signifies a space governed by the host's clear, non-negotiable rules.
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