Identity‐politics in the European Union
The purpose of this article is to explore the question of European identity. The EU consists of Member States whose national identities are well entrenched. The question of a European identity must therefore be seen in relation to entrenched national identities. Does a European identity have to supplant the national ones? Can it supplement or transform these? How much of a transformation is necessary? Will a European identity be a novel, post‐national type of identity? The article explores the question of a European identity by drawing on the analytical categories associated with the politics of recognition and by applying these to different conceptions of the EU qua polity. Four different options are explored and the conclusion is that ‐ although the picture is complex ‐ the EU appears to be in the process of developing a post‐national type of identity.
The philosophical arguments.

 There is a serious difficulty in identifying which individuals belong to the class of the mentally retarded. However, under cetain circumstances, it would seem morally permissible to sterilize some mildly retarded people without their consent. Involuntary sterilization might be in the best interest of the people who, while capable of engaging in and enjoying sex, would not be able to bear the physiological and psychological stresses connected with pregnancy, delivery and child raising. These people have great difficulty in managing nonpermanent forms of contraception, therefore sterilization could be the only responsible contraceptive choice. Also, involuntary sterilization in the right cases would foster, rather than deny, the membership of the mildly mentally retarded in the moral community, and enhance the dignity of their position. Policies regarding these positions should come from the political process.

Simulating the Illuminance and Efficiency of the LEDs Used in General Household Lighting
Abstract The advantage of the LEDs illumination in general household lighting was proposed. High efficiency white LED as the light source was provided the energy saving illumination of the general household lightings. Different spaces in general household with different standards of average illuminance were designed and simulated by LightTools and DIALux software. The power consumptions and efficiency of traditional illuminated light sources and LED light source in lighting the household environment were analyzed and compared with each other at the same standard of average illuminance. Finally, it provided the advantage of using white LEDs in different spaces of the general household lighting.