May 3-5, 2019
58 papers, 16 sessions, and participation of junior and senior academics from 50 institutions.
Philip Pettit, distinguished philosopher and professor at Princeton University and Australian National University delivered the keynote address, providing thoughtful insight and clarity in his comparison of neo-liberalism and neo-republicanism.
The conference was arranged according to the three main areas:
- Political Theory and Philosophy of Republicanism
- History of Republics and Republicanism;
- Social and Political Republican Practices
Republicanism usefully defines an area of political thought and experience, which is neither liberal nor populist. In his keynote, Prof. Pettit gave a definition of it as a vision which conceives freedom as non-domination and which rejects the liberal sacrality of the contract. It makes sense to study and discuss Republics and Republicanism in Venice, because of the city's historical heritage and the need here to redefine politics for the service of the common good.
At the end of the conference, the coordinating committee met to discuss future ambitions for this promising initiative: it will become a "Republics & Republicanism Biennial", held every two years, capable of motivating research and creating at VIU a locus for multidisciplinary and worldwide discussion on the topic.
VIU and the organizing committee are grateful to the many participants for the quality of their contributions.
Organizing Committee of the 2019 edition:
- Oleg Kharkhordin (European University at St. Petersburg)
- Natalia Mazur (European University at St. Petersburg)
- Shaul Bassi (Ca' Foscari University of Venice)
- Giovanni Zanalda (Duke University)
- Luca Pes (Venice International University)
