“Antiphysiocracy”. Critiques and opposition to the physiocratic movement, from the end of the 1750s to the mid-19th Century

Lione (Francia), 12-13 aprile 2013

Conferenza internazionale

Organizzata da: TRIANGLE, UMR CNRS 5206, ENS-LSH, IEP de Lyon, Université Lyon 2; IDHE, UMR CNRS 8533, Université Paris 8; LED, EA 3391, Université Paris 8

Call for papers entro il 15 ottobre 2012

Presentazione:

Although the theories of Quesnay, his disciples and the ‘dissident’ physiocrats have been the focus of many studies, and while the diffusion on an international scale of physiocratic ideas and their successors during the French Revolution and in the first decades of the 19th Century have given rise to conferences and publications, the same cannot be said for the opposition to physiocracy.

The theme of this conference is a subject that has remained untouched for some time, and is now becoming a topic of interest again. In fact, a seminar is scheduled to take place in Norway in September 2012, on physiocracy and the opposition that it encountered in Europe until the end of the 18th Century. Continuing and complementing this first event, the international conference in Lyon aims to cover the widest possible range of aspects of antiphysiocracy and opposition to physiocratic principles and practices. We intend to take a long-term perspective, from the foundation of the school to the critiques made of the physiocrats by economists, theoreticians and pamphleteers in the first half of the 19th Century. We also wish to be as comprehensive as possible, not restricting ourselves to economics and history in themselves, but instead by opening the field of study to all antiphysiocratic ideas, trends and reactions, no matter what form they take. As a rough guide, we could mention:

– The work of theoreticians who were opposed to Quesnay’s school of thought from an analytic point of view: Forbonnais, Galiani, Graslin or Montaudouin de la Touche, of course, but also Accarias de Sérionne, Béardé de l’Abbaye, Costé de Saint-Supplix, Pesselier, Pfeiffer, or Tiffaut de la Noüe for instance,
– The work of the classical Republicans and the ‘political’ opponents of physiocracy (Mably, Rousseau, Linguet, Necker…),
– The criticisms that have surfaced in literature, poetry, stories and theatre (Voltaire, L.-S. Mercier…),
– The itineraries of figures that started out very close to physiocracy and ended up very critical of it, such as Diderot,
– Reactions of the cours souveraines and the enlightened elite, but also the reactions of the people to the physiocrats’ political stance, and even to their ideas (songs, ballads, satires…)
– Critiques of physiocracy and its post-revolutionary successors by 19th Century theoreticians (particularly the first socialists and French ‘liberal’ economists)
– Worldwide critiques of physiocratic experiments and theory

This conference aims, then, to encompass much more than merely historians and historians of economic thought, and invites researchers interested in political, literary and cultural history from the 1750s to mid-19th century to submit proposals on this unifying theme of opposition to physiocracy, in all its dimensions.

Participants are invited to submit proposals of no more than 800 words, in French or English (participants may choose to speak in either language) before October 15, 2012 to the following address: antiphysiocracyconference@ish-lyon.cnrs.fr

A selection of contributions from the conference will be proposed – with the usual peer review process – for a special issue of the European Journal of the History of Economic Thought on the theme of Antiphysiocracy. The issue should be published in 2015.

Invited speaker: Steven L. Kaplan, Cornell University

Organizing Committee:
Gérard Klotz, University Lyon 2
Philippe Minard, University Paris 8 and EHESS
Arnaud Orain, University Paris 8
Jean-Pierre Potier, University Lyon 2
Claire Silvant, University Lyon 2

Scientific Committee:
Manuela Albertone, University of Turin (Italy)
Antonella Alimento, University of Pisa (Italy)
Loïc Charles, University of Reims (France)
Alain Clément, University of Tours (France)
Pierre Dockès, University Lyon 2 (France)
Gilbert Faccarello, University Paris 2 (France)
Pierre-Henri Goutte, University Lyon 2 (France)
Steven L. Kaplan, Cornell University (United States)
Gérard Klotz, University Lyon 2 (France)
Florence Magnot, University Montpellier 3 (France)
Philippe Minard, University Paris 8 (France)
Antoin Murphy, Trinity College Dublin (Ireland)
Arnaud Orain, University Paris 8 (France)
Martial Poirson, University Grenoble 3 (France)
Jean-Pierre Potier, University Lyon 2 (France)
Nicolas Rieucau, University Paris 8 (France)
Michael Sonenscher, King’s College Cambridge (Great-Britain)
Philippe Steiner, University Paris 4 (France)
Christine Théré, INED (France)
André Tiran, University Lyon 2 (France)