Calls

The 16th International Congress for Eighteenth-Century Studies is dedicated to the theme Antiquity and the Shaping of the Future in the Age of Enlightenment.

In the 18th century, a new interpretation of the past radically innovated the dominating view of and approach to tradition. The legacy of antiquity was always there as shared memory, but  the critical and analytical attitude that characterised 18th-century culture also transformed its relationship with antiquity, which was renegotiated and modernised. Indeed, the 1700s witnessed a reconstruction of the foundations of knowledge, considering not only the different forms of knowledge itself, but also the individual and his/her existence in the present. This change created a major break with the past and laid the groundwork for the new patterns of thought and expression that have developed in the subsequent ages and continue to do so, up to the present day. They built for the future, but in creative dialogue with a vanished Antiquity. The challenge that the Congress is to face lies precisely in the capturing of the deep sense and meaning of this transformation, which involves all branches of knowledge and can be approached from different perspectives and with different methodologies.


While we particularly invite scholars to submit proposals for papers, panels, and roundtables that address the Congress theme, contributions on any topic relevant to the long eighteenth century (1670-1830) are warmly welcomed.

As a first step in the scientific organization of the Congress, an online Call for Panels and Round Tables has been open from April 30, 2022 until September 15, 2022. 

Now, from October 15, 2022 until January 31, 2023, it is possible to submit proposals for individual papers, either for an already accepted open panel or for new panels to be set up by the Congress organizers on the basis of the paper proposals received and selected. Proposals may be in English, French or Italian.


Call for papers

Please submit your paper proposal downloading the form below and sending it to call@isecs-roma2023.net


The Coordination Group of the ISECS 2023 Congress thanks all the colleagues who submitted individual and panel proposals for the quality and the variety of their contributions. We are confident that the Congress will be a scientifically most relevant event and the perfect opportunity for meeting colleagues in 18th-century studies and sharing ideas and research projects. On the basis of the proposals received, the Coordination Group has drew up on the provisional programme (see the page "programme").