David Goodhart calls Lea Ypi one of the world’s top intellectuals. She teaches political theory at the London School of Economics. She won the British Academy’s Political Science Excellence Award.

From 12 February, she will hold a chair at the Collège de France in Paris. The title: “The Invention of Europe through Languages and Cultures.” She follows philosopher Peter Sloterdijk and playwright Wajdi Mouawad.

About the Book

The book explores Europe’s complex history. It connects to her grandmother’s life. Leman Ypi was born in Thessaloniki in 1918. She grew up in Constantinople. She moved to Albania at 18.

Her grandmother taught her Enlightenment values. These came from an Ottoman elite inspired by the French Revolution. Ypi learned early that human values and morality are universal. She also learned French, influenced by Madame de Staël.

Views on Europe

Ypi is not overly idealistic about Europe. She says the European project “needs revision.” Enlightenment, which inspires her, was often betrayed by European states. She says it must be defended independently of states.

Her main idea is “moral socialism.” It contrasts with 20th-century immoral socialism, which failed by restricting freedom of thought, movement, and association.

Her grandfather, a social democrat, was jailed by communists. He did not become a communist or a capitalist. Ypi says bad communism does not make capitalism good automatically.

She blends liberal and socialist views. She references Italian anti-fascists Altiero Spinelli and Ernesto Rossi. They wrote For a Free and United Europe in 1941. They were imprisoned under Mussolini in Ventotene. The manifesto proposed a federal socialist Europe.

Meanwhile, her grandmother skied in the Dolomites during fascism.

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