Fifth International Colloquium on Joseph de Maistre

JOSEPH DE MAISTRE: REAPPRAISALS/RECONSIDÉRATIONS

University of Cambridge

Friday 5th-Saturday 6th December 2008

Organisers:
Carolina Armenteros (cra22@cam.ac.uk), Daniel De Groff (dd321@cam.ac.uk),
Isabel DiVanna (id239@cam.ac.uk), Tom Hopkins (th268@cam.ac.uk).

Joseph de Maistre (1753-1821) was a Savoyard political thinker usually remembered as one of the earliest exponents of Francophone conservatism. His highly original work, however, also provided some of the founding texts of sociology, historicism and political ultramontanism. It inspired the early socialist philosophy of history as well, and left a mark in the history of illuminism. Since its inception, Maistrian thought has provided stimulating challenges to thinkers across the political spectrum, but especially to those who deemed themselves its enemies.

We welcome abstracts for a 25-minute paper to be presented at the fifth international colloquium on Maistre at Cambridge on 5-6 December 2008. All submissions should be accompanied by a one-page curriculum vitae. We encourage participation of graduate students, young academics and well-established scholars. Papers in French and in English will be accepted. Deadline for submissions: May 1st, 2008. All submissions should be sent to Dr Carolina Armenteros via email (cra22@cam.ac.uk) or post (History Faculty, West Road, Cambridge, CB3 9EF).

This colloquium aims to be broad, and to include scholarly papers on all aspects of Maistre’s political, social, moral and religious thought, while emphasizing a preference for new approaches.

Areas of contribution might include:

• ‘Maistre and the Enlightenment’
• ‘Maistre as a Letter Writer’
• ‘Maistre and Political Action’
• ‘Maistre the Religious Thinker’
• ‘Maistrian Illuminism’
• ‘The Sociological Posterities of Maistrian Thought’
• ‘Maistre and the Jesuits’
• ‘Maistre’s Reception in Russia’

The following keynote speakers have been confirmed:

• Jean-Louis Darcel, Professor Emeritus, University of Savoy; Opening Remarks.
• Richard Lebrun, Professor Emeritus, University of Manitoba; ‘Joseph de Maistre as Pamphleteer’.
• Darrin McMahon, Ben Weider Professor, Florida State University; ‘The Counter-Enlightenment, the Genius Figure and the Political Power of the Unchained Intellect’.

We are discussing the opportunity of publishing a volume of collected essays drawn from the colloquium papers with McGill-Queen’s University Press.