7th MWP Classics Revisited Conference: Machiavelli’s Il Principe at 500

7th MWP Classics Revisited Conference: Machiavelli’s Il Principe at 500

by Matthew Hoye, Max Weber Fellow 2012-2014

This year’s annual Classics Revisited conference was on Machiavelli, in celebration of the fifth centenary of the publication of his classic, Il Principe. The conference ran for two days, 7-8 May 2013, and was held at Villa La Fonte. The aim of the conference was to approach Machiavelli from an interdisciplinary as well as international perspective. To that end, speakers were invited from New Zealand, Buenos Aires, the US, Canada, and throughout Europe, and they touched on a range of topics including the family, early-modern political economy, the euro crisis, the city-state, and Machiavelli’s reception in Japan.

Speakers included: Anna Becker (Universität Basel), Jeremie Barthas (Queen Mary, University of London), Elias Palti (University of Buenos Aires), Konrad Lawson (EUI, MWF), Martin van Gelderen (Lichtenberg Kolleg Göttingen), J. Matthew Hoye (EUI, MWF), Jonathan Scott (University of Auckland), who was presented by Karin Tilmans (MWP, EUI), Philippe Schmitter (emeritus EUI), and Aidan Regan (EUI, MWF). Peter Stacey (UCLA) delivered the introductory talk, ‘Il vivere servo in Machiavelli’s political philosophy’, and John McCormick (University of Chicago) delivered the concluding keynote lecture on ‘Machiavelli on Misawarded Glory: Agathocles, Scipio and “the writers”’.

Ramon Marimon, Karin Tilmans, Susan Garvin, Martin van Gelderen and Matthew Hoye organized the conference. The departments of History and Civilization, and Social and Political Science provided generous financial support. The conference also included a memorable dinner at Machiavelli’s house in San Casciano. By all measures, the conference was a success.