Presentation
While the origins of political economy are usually explored through mercantilist, liberal, or republican traditions, this conference proposes to investigate an alternative intellectual genealogy centred on anti-Machiavellian currents. The aim of the conference is indeed to explore a hypothesis and to assess the direct or indirect influence that anti-Machiavellian currents and anti-Machiavellianism may have had on the emergence of economics as a science of the government of wealth and people.
With this in mind, the presentations will seek to describe the economic analyses and concepts of authors who present themselves, or have been presented, as critics of Machiavelli. The contributions will examine the extent to which their analyses may have presented themselves, explicitly or implicitly, as an alternative to the methods of government promoted – or presumed to have been promoted – by Machiavelli, by emphasising new objectives of government: the growth of the body politic versus the preservation of the state, wealth versus power, economic power versus military power, trade versus diplomacy, economic interests versus political interests, unity through economic means versus political divisions, commercial alliances versus diplomatic alliances, the general interest versus particular interests, cooperation versus tactical alliances, universal peace against wars…
Contributions may also, though to a lesser extent, examine indirectly the economic analyses of Machiavelli or those of authors regarded as Machiavellian, by assessing the place and nature of economic thought in their writings. The conference will thus provide an opportunity to clarify the contours of anti-Machiavellianism and, by extension, Machiavellianism.
The conference will thus be a forum for reflection, seeking to explore whether there may have been an anti-Machiavellian phase in political economy in Europe between the 16th and 18th centuries.
Agenda & practical information
Deadline for submission of proposals: 15 October 2027
Proposals of approximately 500 words should be sent as a Word or PDF file to: boyer@unistra.fr. An acknowledgement of receipt will be sent to confirm the submission.
Notification to authors of the scientific committee’s decision: 15 November 2027
Conference dates: 1 and 2 April 2027
Venue: Maison Interuniverstaire des Sciences sociales et des Humanités d'Alsace (MISHA), Strasbourg.
coverage of expenses: All on-site expenses will be covered (hotel accommodation and meals).
Some of the speakers’ travel costs may be funded, subject to sufficient funds being available. In terms of funding, priority will be given to researchers without funding from their institutions.
This conference is supported and organised by the ITI MAKErS Chair ‘Wealth, Interests and Governments in Europe’ of the MAKErS Interdisciplinary Thematic Institute, as part of the ITI 2021-2028 program of the University of Strasbourg, CNRS and INSERM, was supported by IdEx Unistra (ANR-10-IDEX-0002), and by SFRI-STRAT'US project (ANR-20-SFRI-0012).
