Alex Murray tells us about August Nordenskiöld’s plans to “free humanity from the tyranny of money” by crashing the world economy. Would you say this is utopian or dystopian?

For Ben Stemper, Eugene Huzar's critique of the dangerous marriage between experimental science and industrialization constitutes a crucial voice to recover for the history of ecological thought

Arendse Wenzel Måge discusses how Icelandic treasurer Sku li Mågnu and Icelandic poet and naturalist Eggert Ó låfsson employed different ideas of climate to formulate plans to bring Iceland back from potential ruin

Lynnea Shuck is now presenting a paper on Charles Fourier’s environmental theory, emphasizing the role of the working-class in building a world in which humans lived in harmony with nature.

Abbie LeBlanc @abbsleblanc opens Day 2 of our conference with a talk on the moon and colonisation in Francis Godwin’s The Man in the Moon.

And now Ming Kit Wong from Cambridge University reflects on Judith Shklar’s praise of Rousseau’s “acute psychological insight” into human nature in his utopian literature

Discussing the utopian game of chess in More’s ‘Utopia’, Mishael Knight from Cambridge History tells us that it moved away from the hierarchical, traditional game, to one emphasising virtue and the cultivation of moral faculties.

Tristan Hughes opens his paper with the question: “what is conservative anti-capitalism?” He tells us that pro-slavery, anti-capitalist critiques of the antebellum south were fascinated by utopian socialism and cooperative communities.

In truly dystopian fashion, we have had to move the conference due to a gas leak. We are now holding the conference at 24 Gordon Street, room 105!

Our next panel is States of Virtue with Luca Lissoni (San Marino), Serena Cho (Yale) and John Ayshford (Manchester)

Our final panel of graduates are looking at ‘utopias in the shadow of empire’ with Stephanie Wanga (LSE), Jack Crosswaite (York) and Zaki Rehman (Cambridge)

Now Jack Crosswaite (York) discusses Sir Thomas Smith’s utopian ideals for England and colonisation plans for Ireland. He evoked ideas of classical antiquity as well as critiques of French Catholicism

And our final paper of the day is given by Zaki Rahman (Cambridge) on the idea of a Muslim Utopia in 19th century India. He tells us how minority-majority relations in local communities were just as important in subjects’ minds as problems of imperial subjugation.

Very grateful to have been given the opportunity to present at this conference alongside so many brilliant papers!

Join us at the LSE this Wednesday for the Institute of Historical Research of Political Ideas-Early Career seminar. Roberto Ganau (NYU) will discuss Sovereignty and Commerce in Sixteenth-Century France! Find out more and sign up here: history.ac.uk/events/soverei…

Don’t forget to sign up for tomorrow’s Institute of Historical Research of Political Ideas Early Career seminar! 📍 Se Lorn ⏰ 17:30 🎙️ Roberto Ganau (NYU) on Sovereignty and Commerce in 16th-Century France. history.ac.uk/events/soverei…

Last call! 📢 Today at the Se Lorn --> Institute of Historical Research of Political Ideas Early Career Seminar: Roberto Ganau (NYU) will explore "Sovereignty and Commerce in 16th-Century France." See you there! history.ac.uk/events/soverei…

Join us this Wednesday at Senate House for the first History of Political Ideas/Early Career Seminar of 2025! We're thrilled to welcome Chris Cooper-Davies (Oxford) as our speaker. Sign up here: history.ac.uk/events/mohamad… Institute of Historical Research Oxford Centre for Intellectual History

Kick off 2025 with us this Wednesday at Senate House for the inaugural History of Political Ideas/Early Career Seminar! We’re excited to host Chris Cooper-Davies (Oxford) as our first speaker of the year. Don’t miss out—sign up here: history.ac.uk/events/mohamad… Institute of Historical Research

Join us tonight at Senate House—don’t forget to sign up!