From 17–19 September 2026, the Turin Humanities Programme will host its Postgraduate Summer School at Palazzo D’Azeglio in Turin, bringing together doctoral students and early-career researchers to explore Needs, Justice, and the Wealth of Nations: The Moral and Material Foundations of Political Economy in the European World (1500–1800). Deadline for submissions: 15 June 2026.
This Summer School explores the historical emergence of political economy in early modern Europe through the interconnected themes of needs, justice, and wealth creation. Bringing together perspectives from intellectual history, economic history, and the history of science, the programme examines how early modern societies understood and governed questions of scarcity, production, trade, inequality, and social order. Discussions will focus on three thematic axes: the relationship between subsistence, sociability, and political stability; the links between production, state power, and international competition; and the moral and legal foundations through which economic life was justified and contested. Rather than treating political economy as a linear precursor to modern economics, the Summer School approaches it as a historically situated and plural field of practices, arguments, and institutional experiments. Through lectures, seminars, and collaborative exchange, participants will engage critically with debates that continue to resonate in contemporary discussions on inequality, governance, and global economic relations.
To apply for the Summer School, prospective participants should submit a brief academic CV (max. 2 pages), an abstract of the research they wish to present (max. 400 words) and a short essay on why they would like to attend the Summer School (max. 200 words). Please, upload these materials within the application form that can be found on the website of Fondazione 1563 (here) by 10.00 PM (Italian/CET time) of June 15, 2026.
