Conceptualising Change in the History of Political Thought
2-3 June 2014, Senate House, University of London
Keynotes: Prof. Jennifer Pitts (Chicago) and Prof. Jill Kraye (Warburg Institute)
The idea of change lies at the heart of both politics and history. But how has ‘change’ been understood, and approached, by those thinking about politics? This conference will consider this question in a variety of contexts and reflect on the ways in which the possibility and practice of change has been conceptualised in political discourse.
Themes for papers/panels could include:
- Power, agency and the locus of change
- Theories of time and progress
- Justifying political change
- Philosophies of history
- Revolution and counter-revolution
- State building and regime change
- Conservatism
- Activism
- Reconceptualisations of political ideas and language
- The relationship between political ideas and political action
- Methodological questions in the History of Political Thought
We invite proposals from a diversity of fields that approach this theme from an historical perspective, including the history of political thought, political theory, theology, literature, international relations, philosophy, anthropology and legal studies. We welcome submissions from classicists, medievalists and those working on non-Western traditions of thought.
Participants in the conference will have the opportunity to publish their papers in the online, peer-reviewed publication, the Journal of Intellectual History and Political Thought.
To submit a proposal, please email a CV and an abstract of max. 500 words for a paper of approximately 20 minutes to The London Graduate Conference in the History of Political Thought: conference@historyofpoliticalthought.net. Proposals can be submitted either independently or as part of a panel of 2-3 speakers.
Proposal Deadline: 31 January 2014.
