The West, considered as a single entity, is divided. However, this division was not caused by the threat of international terrorism, but by the political actions of the US government, which disregards international law, marginalizes the United Nations, and defies the rift with Europe.

The division spans both Europe and America. In Germany, the distancing of the American government and elites from their own traditions acts as a test. The chemical compound that constituted the western orientation of the Federal Republic of Germany, since the era of Adenauer, is now disintegrating into its two elements: the opportunistic adaptation to the hegemonic power is clearly separated from the intellectual and moral commitment to fundamental principles and core beliefs of Western civilization.

In his seventy-fifth year, political thinker Jürgen Habermas proves to be a brilliant analyst and motivator of democracy and the European spirit. The book The Division of the West gathers texts written after the events of September 11, 2001, including a new, extensive essay on the future of the Kantian program for a world citizenry.

[Excerpt from the text on the back cover of the edition]