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Events

Liberty and Conflict: Machiavelli on Politics and Power

General Programming

Cosponsors
  • Department of Political Science at Columbia University
  • The Embassy of Italy, Washington DC
  • The Italian Academy for Advanced Studies in America at Columbia University
  • The Columbia Seminar on Studies in Political and Social Thought
  • Italian Cultural Institute of New York

The aim of this conference is to situate Machiavelli within the history of political thought and examine the tragic view of politics and conflict in the The Prince. Discussion will focus on the relation between The Prince and the Discourses and the foundation of good orders, and the assessment of the meaning of political liberty and power in the study of Machiavelli’s ideas.

Program

time8:30am - 9:00am EDT

Welcome and Break I

time9:00am - 9:30am EDT

Opening Remarks
Chair

David Freedberg

Pierre Matisse Professor of the History of Art and Director of The Italian Academy for Advanced Studies in America

Columbia University

Giuliano Amato

Emeritus Professor or Law

European University Institute

David Johnston

Professor of Political Science

Columbia University

time9:30am - 11:15am EDT

Panel I
Chair

Nadia Urbinati

Kyriakos Tsakopoulos Professor of Political Theory and Hellenic Studies

Columbia University

“Machiavelli on Describing the Vices as Virtues"

Quentin Skinner

Barber Beaumont Professor of the Humanities

Queen Mary, University of London

“Machiavelli on Good and Evil: The Problem of Dirty Hands Revisited”

Giovanni Giorgini

Professor of Political Philosophy

University of Bologna

Discussant

Bernard Manin

Professor of Politics

New York University

time11:15am - 11:30am EDT

Break II

time11:30am - 1:15pm EDT

Panel II
Chair

Riccardo Viale

Professor of Methodology of Social Sciences

University of Milano-Bicocca

"Corruption, Virtue and the Republic in Machiavelli"

Thierry Ménissier

Professeur des Universités, Philosophie et Innovation

Université de Grenoble

“The Necessity to Be Not-Good: Machiavelli’s Realism and Foreign Relations”

Erica Benner

Fellow in Political Philosophy

Yale University

Discussant

time1:30pm - 2:30pm EDT

Break III

time2:30pm - 4:15pm EDT

Panel III
Chair

Jean Cohen

Nell and Herbert M. Singer Professor of Political Theory and Contemporary Civilization

Columbia University

“'To Enjoy the Present Advantage of Being Able to Despoil the People': Financial Order andPolitical Disorder in Machiavelli”

Jérémie Barthas

Researcher

National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), France

“Machiavelli and the Gracchi: On the Relation Between Republican Liberty and Class Conflict”

Benedetto Fontana

Associate Professor of Political Science

Baruch College

Discussant

Michele Battini

Professor at the Department of Civilization Forms of Knowledge and Scientific Field Contemporary History

University of Pisa

time4:15pm - 4:30pm EDT

Break IV

time4:30pm - 6:15pm EDT

Panel IV
Chair

Karuna Mantena

Associate Professor of Political Science

Yale University

“The Expanding Character of Liberty in Machiavelli”

Thomas Berns

Professor of Philosophy

Université Libre de Bruxelles

“Citizenship and the Desire for Freedom: What Kind of a Democrat Is Machiavelli?”

Marie Gaille

Head of Research (CR1) and Doctor of Philosophy - CNRS

Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique

Discussant

Carlo Invernizzi Accetti

Alexander Bodini Research Fellow in Culture and Religion

Italian Academy for Advanced Studies, Columbia University

time6:15pm - 7:30pm EDT

Break V

time8:30am - 9:00pm EDT

Break I

time9:15am - 11:00am EDT

Panel V
Chair

Barbara Carnevali

Researcher in Philosophy

Institut d’études avancées de Paris

“The Prince and the Discourses: One Masterpiece”

Philip C. Bobbit

Herbert Wechsler Prof. of Federal Jurisprudence; Dir. Center for National Security Law

Columbia University

“Extraordinary Accidents in the Life of Republics: Machiavelli and Dictatorial Authority”

Marco Geuna

Associate Professor of History of Political Philosophy

University of Milan

Discussant

Andreas Kalyvas

Associate Professor of Political Science

New School for Social Research

time11:00am - 11:15am EDT

Break II

time11:15am - 1:00pm EDT

Panel VI
Chair

Helena Rosenblatt

Professor of History

City University of New York

“Machiavelli’s The Prince and the Principality by Acquisition”

Pasquale Pasquino

Global Distinguished Professor of Politics

New York University

“The Ecclesiastical Principality”

Paul A. Rahe

Professor of History

Hillsdale College

Discussant

Michael A. Mosher

Professor of Political Science

The University of Tulsa

time1:15am - 2:30pm EDT

Break III

time2:30pm - 4:15pm EDT

Panel VII
Chair

Bryan Garsten

Professor of Political Science

Yale University

"On Political Power and Personal Liberty in The Prince and the Discourses"

Jo Ann Cavallo

Professor of Italian

aculty

“Machiavelli and the Constituent Power: The Revolutionary Foundation of Modern PoliticalThought”

Filippo Del Lucchese

Lecturer in Politics and History

Brunel University, London

Discussant

Camila Vergara

PhD candidate in Political Theory

Columbia University

time4:15pm - 4:30pm EDT

Break IV

time4:30pm - 6:15pm EDT

Panel VIII
Chair

David Johnston

Professor of Political Science

Columbia University

“Machiavelli’s Verità Effettuale”

Harvey C. Mansfield

William R. Kenan, Jr., Professor of Government

Harvard university

“The Tyrant as Republican Reformer in Machiavelli’s Discourses”

John P. McCormick

Professor of Political Science

University of Chicago

Discussant

Gloria Origgi

Postdoctoral Fellow at The Italian Academy for Advanced Studies

Columbia University

time6:30am - 7:00pm EDT

Closing Remarks

Nadia Urbinati

Kyriakos Tsakopoulos Professor of Political Theory and Hellenic Studies

Columbia University

Participants
  • Carlo Invernizzi Accetti Alexander Bodini Research Fellow in Culture and Religion Italian Academy for Advanced Studies, Columbia University
  • Giuliano Amato Emeritus Professor or Law European University Institute
  • Jérémie Barthas Researcher National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), France
  • Michele Battini Professor at the Department of Civilization Forms of Knowledge and Scientific Field Contemporary History University of Pisa
  • Erica Benner Fellow in Political Philosophy Yale University
  • Thomas Berns Professor of Philosophy Université Libre de Bruxelles
  • Philip C. Bobbit Herbert Wechsler Prof. of Federal Jurisprudence; Dir. Center for National Security Law Columbia University
  • Barbara Carnevali Researcher in Philosophy Institut d'études avancées de Paris
  • Jo Ann Cavallo Professor of Italian Columbia University
  • Jean Cohen Nell and Herbert M. Singer Professor of Political Theory and Contemporary Civilization Columbia University
  • Benedetto Fontana Associate Professor of Political Science Baruch College
  • David Freedberg Pierre Matisse Professor of the History of Art and Director of The Italian Academy for Advanced Studies in America Columbia University
  • Marie Gaille Head of Research (CR1) and Doctor of Philosophy - CNRS Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
  • Bryan Garsten Professor of Political Science Yale University
  • Marco Geuna Associate Professor of History of Political Philosophy University of Milan
  • Giovanni Giorgini Professor of Political Philosophy University of Bologna
  • David Johnston Professor of Political Science Columbia University
  • Andreas Kalyvas Associate Professor of Political Science New School for Social Research
  • Filippo Del Lucchese Lecturer in Politics and History Brunel University, London
  • Bernard Manin Professor of Politics New York University
  • Harvey C. Mansfield William R. Kenan, Jr., Professor of Government Harvard university
  • Karuna Mantena Associate Professor of Political Science Yale University
  • John P. McCormick Professor of Political Science University of Chicago
  • Thierry Ménissier Professeur des Universités, Philosophie et Innovation Université de Grenoble
  • Michael A. Mosher Professor of Political Science The University of Tulsa
  • Gloria Origgi Postdoctoral Fellow at The Italian Academy for Advanced Studies Columbia University
  • Pasquale Pasquino Global Distinguished Professor of Politics New York University
  • Paul A. Rahe Professor of History Hillsdale College
  • Helena Rosenblatt Professor of History City University of New York
  • Quentin Skinner Barber Beaumont Professor of the Humanities Queen Mary, University of London
  • Nadia Urbinati Kyriakos Tsakopoulos Professor of Political Theory and Hellenic Studies Columbia University
  • Camila Vergara PhD candidate in Political Theory Columbia University
  • Riccardo Viale Professor of Methodology of Social Sciences University of Milano-Bicocca