The Jurisprudence of Particularism

Is there space for particularism which would limit the implementation of European Union law in a constitutional democracy? This is the question the recently published book edited by Kriszta Kovács seeks to answer. The open-access volume examines courtroom national identity claims in Central Europe and examines these claims through the lens of particularism. By taking particularism as the prism, the volume offers a new analytical scheme to evaluate the judicial invocation of identity.

Particularism is typically contrasted with universalism. However, particularism does not necessarily have to be exclusionist. It can be understood as particularistic manifestations and reflections of universal constitutional principles such as freedom or equality. Continue reading