Although the Age of Enlightenment saw the development of radically new approaches to comprehending and reforming society and politics, our current understanding is that the existence of poverty was rarely problematized by eighteenth-century thinkers, writers and officials – notwithstanding that ‘the poor’ made up the clear majority of Europe’s population. This picture only changed in the transformative decade of the 1790s. This conference brings together historians with a wide range of geographical and theoretical expertise to re-examine the ways in which poverty was conceptualised in the social, political and religious discourses of eighteenth-century Europe.

The conference is generously supported by the King’s College London Faculty of Humanities Research Grant Programme, Dept. of History Research Fund and Centre for Enlightenment Studies; University College London’s History Dept. Events Fund; and the Royal Historical Society.

Those wishing to attend are requested to register by emailing Niall O’Flaherty (niall.o’flaherty@kcl.ac.uk) and Robin Mills (robin.mills@ucl.ac.uk) by 31 August. Places are limited and will be offered on a rolling basis. Please click here to download a copy of the conference programme.

Call for Participation: Manuscript Workshop on Professor Annelien de Dijn (University of Utrecht), Freedom: An Unruly History (Harvard University Press, forthcoming).

The Centre for Enlightenment Studies at King’s College London, with support from the Leverhulme Trust, is proud to host a manuscript workshop on Professor de Dijn’s forthcoming intellectual history Freedom: An Unruly History. This will take the form of five hour-long chapter-by-chapter sessions opened by commentators followed by general discussion.

For expressions of interest in attending or for further details please contact robin.mills@ucl.ac.uk. Places are limited so email asap. Participation at this event involves committing to reading as much of the manuscript as possible and attending with the intention to contribute to discussion if possible. Refreshments will be provided and there will be a subsidised dinner for attendees.

Commentators: David Carter (Reading), Valentina Arena (UCL)/Justin Champion (Royal Holloway), Angus Gowland (UCL), Julia Nicholls (KCL), Caroline Ashcroft (QMUL)