ABSTRACT
We are now in a position to see what conclusions can be drawn about the European
society of states. The themes listed in the preface to this section as particularly significant
were: the principles and organizational practices of the European society-the grande
république-including the significance of hegemony, of legitimacy and of the swing of
the pendulum; and on another plane, the continuity with previous systems and with our
contemporary global society, and the relevance of cultural unity, especially in relation to
the European system’s worldwide expansion. Though we may distinguish these themes
for the purpose of analysis, in practice they were so closely interwoven, and each so
affected the others, that they need to be considered together.
