The Annual Conference of the European Society for the History of Economic Thought (ESHET) is the most important gathering of historians of economic thought in Europe. Together with the Annual Conference of the History of Economics Society (HES) in North America, it is the place to be for historians of economics who want to find out what colleagues are working on and to discuss with them. The 22st Annual ESHET Conference will take place in the Universidad Complutense de Madrid (Madrid, Spain 7-9 June 2018). Particularly welcome are proposals of papers and sessions that fall into the ESHET 2018 conference theme: “Entrepreneurship, knowledge and employment”.
Program
The program is available on the conference website: http://www.eshet-conference.net/madrid/ed2018/program/
Call for Papers
The 22nd Annual Conference of the European Society for the History of Economic Thought (ESHET) will take place in Madrid, at Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 7-9 June 2018. Proposals for papers or sessions on all aspects of the history of economic thought are welcome.
Note that: a) published papers are not eligible for submission; b) only one conference presentation is allowed per person, but more than one submission may be accepted, if involving co-authors who are also presenting; c) session proposals must conform to a standard format (3 papers, 90 min).
Particularly welcome are proposals of papers and sessions that fall into the ESHET 2018 conference theme: “Entrepreneurship, knowledge and employment”. However, papers may be on any topic relevant to the history of economic thought, and are not restricted to the conference theme. An abstract of about 400 words for a paper and 600 words for a session should be submitted on the conference website (Submission & Registration at http://www.eshet-conference.net/madrid) no later than January 31th, 2018.
Special Theme: ENTREPRENEURSHIP, KNOWLEDGE AND EMPLOYMENT
Credit for coining the term “entrepreneur” goes usually to the French economists Richard Cantillon and Jean Baptiste Say. The first described the entrepreneur as a risk-taker, relating his reward to capitalist profit, and the other described him as a “planner,” relating his reward to a wage of direction and inspection. Karl Marx stressed that entrepreneurs cannot escape from the inherent contradictions of capitalism. Joseph Schumpeter saw the entrepreneur as a person willing to convert a new invention into a successful innovation, thereby becoming the principal agent of the creative destruction of old industries in dynamic disequilibrium. Austrian economics tend to give great importance to the role of the entrepreneur in economics, as he is willing to act under “true uncertainty”. John Maynard Keynes distinguished between the entrepreneur economy and the co-operative economy.
In recent times, the process of designing, launching and running a new business has been emphasized as a way of creating activity, knowledge and employment. However, a significant proportion of start-ups have to close down due to the high risks involved, to lack of funding, lack of demand, bad business decisions, or economic crisis. Some defend the need for nurturing entrepreneurship through incubation of businesses and “coachability”. In the 2000s, the definition of “entrepreneurship” expanded to that of leadership and to the role of identification, evaluation and exploitation of opportunities. Differences in institutions, culture and habits have led to the identification of a variety of entrepreneurial spirits. This has produced different views on the relationships between entrepreneurial behaviour and the organizational form, size and age of the firms which they manage, on their role in non-profit organizations and in formal as well as in informal markets.
In view of the theme of the conference special attention will be granted to proposals which enrich views on the relationships between entrepreneurship, knowledge and employment in the history of economic thought, from the origins up to today. Examples include:
• The concept of the entrepreneur
• Entrepreneurship, the market and the state and their roles in the acquisition of economic knowledge
• Entrepreneurship and risk
• The importance of organization for employment
• Entrepreneurship related to self-employment or dependent employment
• Policies for solving unemployment and creating activity
YOUNG SCHOLARS SEMINAR
ESHET invites young scholars — persons currently enrolled in a PhD, or who have been awarded a PhD no more than two years prior to the date of the relevant ESHET conference (and regardless of age) — to submit their work to the Young Scholars Seminar to be held on the occasion of the ESHET Conference.
Up to six submissions will be selected: ESHET will cover travel expenses up to €300, accommodation costs up to €80/night for three nights, and the registration fee including the conference dinner. The authors of the selected papers will have 20 minutes each to present the paper, and a senior scholar will discuss it. Papers may be on any topic relevant to the history of economics, and are not restricted to the conference theme.
ESHET encourages young scholars to participate in the conference. A one-year ESHET membership is offered to all young scholars who submit a paper. Papers that have not been selected will be considered for presentation at other ESHET 2018 conference sessions.
Candidates should e-mail a paper no longer than 9000 words to Professors ANNALISA ROSSELLI (annalisa.rosselli@uniroma2.it) and RICHARD STURN (richard.sturn@uni-graz.at) by 15 Feb 2018.
Please include documentation of your (and your co-authors) position vis à vis your PhD, and indicate in the Subject of your e-mail: for Young Scholar Seminar. NB: Papers co-authored by Ph.D. supervisors or other senior researchers are not eligible.
Decisions can be expected by 6 April 2018.
The Scientific Committee
Salvador Almenar (Universidad de Valencia)
José Luís Cardoso (Universidade de Lisboa)
Manuela Mosca (Università del Salento / Università di Bologna)
Carlos Rodríguez Braun (Universidad Complutense de Madrid)
Manuel Santos Redondo (Universidad Complutense de Madrid)
Hans-Michael Trautwein (Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg)
Estrella Trincado Aznar (Universidad Complutense de Madrid)
Contact Addresses of the Local Organizers
Email: eshet2018@ucm.es
Head of LO Committee, Estrella Trincado: estrinaz@ccee.ucm.es
Secretary of LO Committee, Javier Arribas: javierarribas@ucm.es
Web: http://www.eshet-conference.net/madrid