Patocka's reflections on Europe are a genuine contemplation: they outline an idea of Europe after its end. However – and this is the crucial turn – it is by no means merely a lament about decay and downfall. On the contrary, his sketches of the beginning and end of Europe, of its unique position in history and as history, are only the prelude to a deeper engagement with what the phenomenon of Europe could mean for the post-European world. Far from being an apologia for Europe after its failure, a retrospective defense of its originality, superiority, spirituality, etc., Patocka's reflections do not turn into a historical reckoning, as is often carelessly in vogue today: the proclaimed end of the European epoch may provide an opportunity to assess its mistakes, however.