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The article aims at analyzing the dimension of history in the neo-scholastic conception of the European integration. The research focuses on R. Schuman's vision of the European integration. He was among the politicians who created the first European communities. His political thought was deeply influenced by the philosophy of the famous French philosopher J. Maritain and the pope Pius XII who both cherished the historical ideal of the European integration, based on the Christian philosophy of history. The main incentive for undertaking this kind of research was the wish to find an alternative intellectual and theoretical position that would not be based on the historicist principles of modernity and enlightenment. Eventually, such position could enhance the poor reflectivity of today`s European integration theory. The analysis of the neo-scholastic European unification idea revealed that all three authors grounded their understanding of history in onto-existential epistemology of Thomism. Its main claim is twofold. First, every historical moment is perceived as a reference to the underlying reality that is not dependent upon historical flow and endows it with spiritual meaning. Second, at the very moment of perceiving the temporal circumstances and grasping their underlying transcendental reality, the moral requirements for the concrete historical moment are discovered. J. Maritain, Pius XII, and R. Schuman withdrew their ideas of European unification and Christian heritage of Europe from this Thomistic conception of history and the onto-existential epistemology. It is sustained that the results of the undertaken analysis can open qualitatively new theoretical perspectives in the European integration theory and thus help to create a more meaningful Europe. First of all, such a non-historicist position of looking at the process of European integration can provide one condition that is necessary for every true scientific enquiry: it can help to create a theoretical distance among the knowing subject and the known reality. Second, the Christian conception of a human person, which was held by J. Maritain, Pius XII, and R. Schuman, is able at least to stimulate the raising of the most fundamental questions about the true nature and goals of European unification. Third, the analysis has demonstrated that the issue of the Christian heritage of Europe is important and cannot be ignored, because it is a historical fact and not only a lofty idea.

The article aims at analyzing the dimension of history in the neo-scholastic conception of the European integration. The research focuses on R. Schuman's vision of the European integration. He was among the politicians who created the first European communities. His political thought was deeply influenced by the philosophy of the famous French philosopher J. Maritain and the pope Pius XII who both cherished the historical ideal of the European integration, based on the Christian philosophy of history. The main incentive for undertaking this kind of research was the wish to find an alternative intellectual and theoretical position that would not be based on the historicist principles of modernity and enlightenment. Eventually, such position could enhance the poor reflectivity of today`s European integration theory. The analysis of the neo-scholastic European unification idea revealed that all three authors grounded their understanding of history in onto-existential epistemology of Thomism. Its main claim is twofold. First, every historical moment is perceived as a reference to the underlying reality that is not dependent upon historical flow and endows it with spiritual meaning. Second, at the very moment of perceiving the temporal circumstances and grasping their underlying transcendental reality, the moral requirements for the concrete historical moment are discovered. J. Maritain, Pius XII, and R. Schuman withdrew their ideas of European unification and Christian heritage of Europe from this Thomistic conception of history and the onto-existential epistemology. It is sustained that the results of the undertaken analysis can open qualitatively new theoretical perspectives in the European integration theory and thus help to create a more meaningful Europe. First of all, such a non-historicist position of looking at the process of European integration can provide one condition that is necessary for every true scientific enquiry: it can help to create a theoretical distance among the knowing subject and the known reality. Second, the Christian conception of a human person, which was held by J. Maritain, Pius XII, and R. Schuman, is able at least to stimulate the raising of the most fundamental questions about the true nature and goals of European unification. Third, the analysis has demonstrated that the issue of the Christian heritage of Europe is important and cannot be ignored, because it is a historical fact and not only a lofty idea.

The article aims at analyzing the dimension of history in the neo-scholastic conception of the European integration. The research focuses on R. Schuman's vision of the European integration. He was among the politicians who created the first European communities. His political thought was deeply influenced by the philosophy of the famous French philosopher J. Maritain and the pope Pius XII who both cherished the historical ideal of the European integration, based on the Christian philosophy of history. The main incentive for undertaking this kind of research was the wish to find an alternative intellectual and theoretical position that would not be based on the historicist principles of modernity and enlightenment. Eventually, such position could enhance the poor reflectivity of today`s European integration theory. The analysis of the neo-scholastic European unification idea revealed that all three authors grounded their understanding of history in onto-existential epistemology of Thomism. Its main claim is twofold. First, every historical moment is perceived as a reference to the underlying reality that is not dependent upon historical flow and endows it with spiritual meaning. Second, at the very moment of perceiving the temporal circumstances and grasping their underlying transcendental reality, the moral requirements for the concrete historical moment are discovered. J. Maritain, Pius XII, and R. Schuman withdrew their ideas of European unification and Christian heritage of Europe from this Thomistic conception of history and the onto-existential epistemology. It is sustained that the results of the undertaken analysis can open qualitatively new theoretical perspectives in the European integration theory and thus help to create a more meaningful Europe. First of all, such a non-historicist position of looking at the process of European integration can provide one condition that is necessary for every true scientific enquiry: it can help to create a theoretical distance among the knowing subject and the known reality. Second, the Christian conception of a human person, which was held by J. Maritain, Pius XII, and R. Schuman, is able at least to stimulate the raising of the most fundamental questions about the true nature and goals of European unification. Third, the analysis has demonstrated that the issue of the Christian heritage of Europe is important and cannot be ignored, because it is a historical fact and not only a lofty idea. ; Straipsnyje teigiama, kad šiandieninės Europos integracijos teorijos būklės supratimas būtų neišsamus, neanalizuojant jos sąsajų su neoscholastiniu Europos vienijimosi modeliu, kurį ji išstūmė iš Europos integracijos tyrinėjimų diskurso XX a. šeštajame dešimtmetyje. Šių sąsajų siūloma ieškoti gilinantis, kaip šiose alternatyviose Europos integracijos sampratose yra suvokiama istorija. Straipsnio tikslas – aptarti neoscholastinės istorinės žiūros principus, kuriais buvo grindžiama neoscholastinė Europos integracijos samprata. Jame detaliai nagrinėjama pirmųjų Europos bendrijų kūrėjo R. Schumano bei pagrindinių jo politinės minties įkvėpėjų prancūzų filosofo J. Maritaino ir popiežiaus Pijaus XII istorijos filosofija, grindusi jų Europos vienijimosi viziją. Atlikta analizė atskleidė, kad visų trijų autorių istorinė žiūra ir ja grindžiamas Europos integracijos idealas remiasi tomistine ontoegzistencine epistemologija. Jos esmė yra tai, kad kiekvienas istorinis momentas suvokiamas kaip nuoroda į istorijai nepavaldžią ir kiekvienam istoriniam laikui prasmę teikiančią tikrovę. Laikinų istorinių aplinkybių ir šios istoriją peržengiančios tikrovės pažinimo momentu suvokiami ir to istorinio laiko moraliniai reikalavimai. Atliktos analizės rezultatai šiandieniniuose Europos integracijos tyrinėjimuose gali padėti atverti kokybiškai naujas teorinės žiūros perspektyvas ir kartu bent iš dalies prisidėti prie prasmingesnės Europos Sąjungos kūrimo.

The article aims at analyzing the dimension of history in the neo-scholastic conception of the European integration. The research focuses on R. Schuman's vision of the European integration. He was among the politicians who created the first European communities. His political thought was deeply influenced by the philosophy of the famous French philosopher J. Maritain and the pope Pius XII who both cherished the historical ideal of the European integration, based on the Christian philosophy of history. The main incentive for undertaking this kind of research was the wish to find an alternative intellectual and theoretical position that would not be based on the historicist principles of modernity and enlightenment. Eventually, such position could enhance the poor reflectivity of today`s European integration theory. The analysis of the neo-scholastic European unification idea revealed that all three authors grounded their understanding of history in onto-existential epistemology of Thomism. Its main claim is twofold. First, every historical moment is perceived as a reference to the underlying reality that is not dependent upon historical flow and endows it with spiritual meaning. Second, at the very moment of perceiving the temporal circumstances and grasping their underlying transcendental reality, the moral requirements for the concrete historical moment are discovered. J. Maritain, Pius XII, and R. Schuman withdrew their ideas of European unification and Christian heritage of Europe from this Thomistic conception of history and the onto-existential epistemology. It is sustained that the results of the undertaken analysis can open qualitatively new theoretical perspectives in the European integration theory and thus help to create a more meaningful Europe. First of all, such a non-historicist position of looking at the process of European integration can provide one condition that is necessary for every true scientific enquiry: it can help to create a theoretical distance among the knowing subject and the known reality. Second, the Christian conception of a human person, which was held by J. Maritain, Pius XII, and R. Schuman, is able at least to stimulate the raising of the most fundamental questions about the true nature and goals of European unification. Third, the analysis has demonstrated that the issue of the Christian heritage of Europe is important and cannot be ignored, because it is a historical fact and not only a lofty idea.

The article aims at analyzing the dimension of history in the neo-scholastic conception of the European integration. The research focuses on R. Schuman's vision of the European integration. He was among the politicians who created the first European communities. His political thought was deeply influenced by the philosophy of the famous French philosopher J. Maritain and the pope Pius XII who both cherished the historical ideal of the European integration, based on the Christian philosophy of history. The main incentive for undertaking this kind of research was the wish to find an alternative intellectual and theoretical position that would not be based on the historicist principles of modernity and enlightenment. Eventually, such position could enhance the poor reflectivity of today`s European integration theory. The analysis of the neo-scholastic European unification idea revealed that all three authors grounded their understanding of history in onto-existential epistemology of Thomism. Its main claim is twofold. First, every historical moment is perceived as a reference to the underlying reality that is not dependent upon historical flow and endows it with spiritual meaning. Second, at the very moment of perceiving the temporal circumstances and grasping their underlying transcendental reality, the moral requirements for the concrete historical moment are discovered. J. Maritain, Pius XII, and R. Schuman withdrew their ideas of European unification and Christian heritage of Europe from this Thomistic conception of history and the onto-existential epistemology. It is sustained that the results of the undertaken analysis can open qualitatively new theoretical perspectives in the European integration theory and thus help to create a more meaningful Europe. First of all, such a non-historicist position of looking at the process of European integration can provide one condition that is necessary for every true scientific enquiry: it can help to create a theoretical distance among the knowing subject and the known reality. Second, the Christian conception of a human person, which was held by J. Maritain, Pius XII, and R. Schuman, is able at least to stimulate the raising of the most fundamental questions about the true nature and goals of European unification. Third, the analysis has demonstrated that the issue of the Christian heritage of Europe is important and cannot be ignored, because it is a historical fact and not only a lofty idea.

The article aims at analyzing the dimension of history in the neo-scholastic conception of the European integration. The research focuses on R. Schuman's vision of the European integration. He was among the politicians who created the first European communities. His political thought was deeply influenced by the philosophy of the famous French philosopher J. Maritain and the pope Pius XII who both cherished the historical ideal of the European integration, based on the Christian philosophy of history. The main incentive for undertaking this kind of research was the wish to find an alternative intellectual and theoretical position that would not be based on the historicist principles of modernity and enlightenment. Eventually, such position could enhance the poor reflectivity of today`s European integration theory. The analysis of the neo-scholastic European unification idea revealed that all three authors grounded their understanding of history in onto-existential epistemology of Thomism. Its main claim is twofold. First, every historical moment is perceived as a reference to the underlying reality that is not dependent upon historical flow and endows it with spiritual meaning. Second, at the very moment of perceiving the temporal circumstances and grasping their underlying transcendental reality, the moral requirements for the concrete historical moment are discovered. J. Maritain, Pius XII, and R. Schuman withdrew their ideas of European unification and Christian heritage of Europe from this Thomistic conception of history and the onto-existential epistemology. It is sustained that the results of the undertaken analysis can open qualitatively new theoretical perspectives in the European integration theory and thus help to create a more meaningful Europe. First of all, such a non-historicist position of looking at the process of European integration can provide one condition that is necessary for every true scientific enquiry: it can help to create a theoretical distance among the knowing subject and the known reality. Second, the Christian conception of a human person, which was held by J. Maritain, Pius XII, and R. Schuman, is able at least to stimulate the raising of the most fundamental questions about the true nature and goals of European unification. Third, the analysis has demonstrated that the issue of the Christian heritage of Europe is important and cannot be ignored, because it is a historical fact and not only a lofty idea.

The principle of subsidiarity has been incorporated into the legal system on the European Union (EU) by the Maastricht Treaty. The problem of the essential definition of the principle, however, has not been resolved yet. The aim of this Master thesis, entitled "Comparison Between the Principles of Subsidiarity in the Catholic Social Thought and in the Documents of the European Union", is to reveal the nature of the European principle of subsidiarity that would allow to explain why the problems of it's interpretation cannot be resolved for such a long time. This aim is achieved by comparing the principles of subsidiarity in the Catholic social thought and in the documents of the EU. Putting the Catholic principle of subsidiarity in contrast with the European principle of subsidiarity can give a possibility to analyse the latter "from outside" and to distance from the unsuccessful attempts to resolve the problem of interpretation only by means of social sciences. The main problem consists in the fact that, while encountering the problems of interpretation of the principle of subsidiarity in the EU, the philosophical presuppositions of this principle are not reflected and it is identified with the principle of subsidiarity of the social Catholicism. The attempt to solve this problem is made by raising a hypothesis that the presuppositions of the principle of subsidiarity in the Catholic social thought and in the documents of the EU differ fundamentally. Notwithstanding that the notion of the principle of subsidiarity in the Catholic social thought is precise, clear and cannot be interpreted subjectively, the objective substantiation of the principle of subsidiarity in the EU seems impossible because it seems to have all the essential elements of (post)modern ideas. Consequently, the problems of interpretation of the principle of subsidiarity in the EU derive from the loss of the principle of reality and from the refusal to substantiate it assuming the premises of Christian anthropology. This also explains why this principle is often used instrumentally for the achievement of political aims. The hypothesis was verified. The philosophical premises of the two principles of subsidiarity are different and conflicting. The Catholic principle of subsidiarity is grounded on the metaphysical concept of a person, has a closed meaning and exact guidelines for the interpretation. The principle of subsidiarity in the documents of the EU, however, reveals itself as an idea containing all the main features of post-modern ideas. During this comparative research some superficial similarities between the two principles of subsidiarity emerged (assumption of the common goal, priority for the lower level of decision-making, positive and negative aspects of the principle, hierarchical vision of the society and other). These external similarities have been explained through the concepts of simulacrum (Baudrillard) and pastiche (Jameson). This research revealed an epistemological importance of such a comparison between the principles of subsidiarity in the Catholic social thought and in the documents of the EU. The rooting of the Catholic principle of subsidiarity in the transcendental reality indicates that the "reality" of the European principle of subsidiarity still belongs to the sphere of imagination. It is a very important indication since the whole project of the EU is constructed on such a vague and undefined concept as the principle of subsidiarity that seems not to have any roots in reality yet. That means that the effects of the EU can become uncontrollable. The principle of subsidiarity in the EU had some unintended consequences as well: it was meant to stop the centralisation of power in the EU but worked just the opposite. Everything gets even more complicated, however, by the fact that such a situation is not sufficiently reflected upon.

The principle of subsidiarity has been incorporated into the legal system on the European Union (EU) by the Maastricht Treaty. The problem of the essential definition of the principle, however, has not been resolved yet. The aim of this Master thesis, entitled "Comparison Between the Principles of Subsidiarity in the Catholic Social Thought and in the Documents of the European Union", is to reveal the nature of the European principle of subsidiarity that would allow to explain why the problems of it's interpretation cannot be resolved for such a long time. This aim is achieved by comparing the principles of subsidiarity in the Catholic social thought and in the documents of the EU. Putting the Catholic principle of subsidiarity in contrast with the European principle of subsidiarity can give a possibility to analyse the latter "from outside" and to distance from the unsuccessful attempts to resolve the problem of interpretation only by means of social sciences. The main problem consists in the fact that, while encountering the problems of interpretation of the principle of subsidiarity in the EU, the philosophical presuppositions of this principle are not reflected and it is identified with the principle of subsidiarity of the social Catholicism. The attempt to solve this problem is made by raising a hypothesis that the presuppositions of the principle of subsidiarity in the Catholic social thought and in the documents of the EU differ fundamentally. Notwithstanding that the notion of the principle of subsidiarity in the Catholic social thought is precise, clear and cannot be interpreted subjectively, the objective substantiation of the principle of subsidiarity in the EU seems impossible because it seems to have all the essential elements of (post)modern ideas. Consequently, the problems of interpretation of the principle of subsidiarity in the EU derive from the loss of the principle of reality and from the refusal to substantiate it assuming the premises of Christian anthropology. This also explains why this principle is often used instrumentally for the achievement of political aims. The hypothesis was verified. The philosophical premises of the two principles of subsidiarity are different and conflicting. The Catholic principle of subsidiarity is grounded on the metaphysical concept of a person, has a closed meaning and exact guidelines for the interpretation. The principle of subsidiarity in the documents of the EU, however, reveals itself as an idea containing all the main features of post-modern ideas. During this comparative research some superficial similarities between the two principles of subsidiarity emerged (assumption of the common goal, priority for the lower level of decision-making, positive and negative aspects of the principle, hierarchical vision of the society and other). These external similarities have been explained through the concepts of simulacrum (Baudrillard) and pastiche (Jameson). This research revealed an epistemological importance of such a comparison between the principles of subsidiarity in the Catholic social thought and in the documents of the EU. The rooting of the Catholic principle of subsidiarity in the transcendental reality indicates that the "reality" of the European principle of subsidiarity still belongs to the sphere of imagination. It is a very important indication since the whole project of the EU is constructed on such a vague and undefined concept as the principle of subsidiarity that seems not to have any roots in reality yet. That means that the effects of the EU can become uncontrollable. The principle of subsidiarity in the EU had some unintended consequences as well: it was meant to stop the centralisation of power in the EU but worked just the opposite. Everything gets even more complicated, however, by the fact that such a situation is not sufficiently reflected upon.