University of Thessaly (Greece), Conference and Cultural Center old Paou Monastery (Argalasti, South Pelion, Magnesia, Greece; http://mpaou.uth.gr/en/), August 31- September, 4 2018.

The 21th Summer School is organized by the University of Thessaly (Greece) and Phare (University Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, France), with the support of the ESHET. The Summer School is open to PhD students and young scholars (PhD degree after January 2017) from the fields of History of Economic Thought, Economic Philosophy and Economic History. Approximately 20 proposals will be selected for presentation. Previous summer schools have taken place in Como (2017), Cargese-Corsica (2016), Stuttgart-Hohenheim, (2015), Zaragoza, (2014), Ankara, (2013). The full list of the summer schools can be found in the ESHET website.

Participants: PhD students and young scholars (PhD degree after January 2017)

Fields: History of Economic Thought, Economic Philosophy and Economic History (approx. 20 proposals will be selected for presentation)

Deadline for abstract submissions: May 21st, 2018

Abstracts must be sent to Michel Zouboulakis: mzoub@uth.gr

Young Scholar Workshops

Four to six papers will be presented each day on open themes, chosen on the basis of the students' field of research, related to the history of economic thought, economic methodology, economic philosophy or economic history. The subjects of the papers may differ from the Summer School's main theme “Fairness and the Economy: Theoretical, Ethical and Political Aspects”.

The students´ presentations will take place in the presence of the members of the scientific committee and of some invited speakers, thus covering a broad area of expertise. Each presentation will be commented by a discussant, chosen among the young scholars, followed by a question and answer session with the audience.

Contributions will be selected from extended abstracts in English of 750 to 1000 words, or full-paper proposals of up to 7500 words. Abstracts must be sent, together with the application form, a CV, and a letter of recommendation from a supervisor, to Michel Zouboulakis: mzoub@uth.gr

Applications not including the required documents – abstract or full paper in English, application form, CV, and a letter of recommendation – will not be taken into consideration.

Participants are expected to make their own travel arrangements and pay their travel costs. The registration fee is 120 €. Registration fees include hotel accommodation (6 nights, check-in August 30st, check-out September 5th), materials, daily breakfast and lunch and participation to the leisure program.

By mid-June 2018, the Scientific Committee will inform all the applicants about the outcome of the selection process.

Seminar´s Theme: “Fairness and the Economy: Theoretical, Ethical and Political Aspects”

The aim of this summer school would be to examine the impact of this concept of central importance from its different aspects. Historically, the idea of fairness in commercial transactions is present since the medieval times at least in the great discussion between Christian Theologists against usury. In Classical Political Economy the idea of fair trade is present in the Wealth of Nations both in individual and foreign exchanges. Since, it was never retrieved from the mainstream economic thinking (e.g. Marshall’s Industry and Trade) but did flourish mainly in the heterodox thinking, especially in Marx and his followers. Recently, in their best-selling book Animal Spirits (Princeton 2009, p.25), Akerlof and Shiller wrote this: “Considerations of fairness are a major motivator in many economic decisions and are related to our sense of confidence and our ability to work effectively together. Current economics has an ambiguous view of fairness. While on the one hand there is a considerable literature on what is fair or unfair, there is also a tradition that such considerations should take second place in the explanation of economic events. […] On the contrary, we think phenomena as basic as the existence of involuntary unemployment and the relation between inflation and the aggregate output can be explained when fairness is taken into account.”

Today, a great social movement in developing countries claims fairness in international trade and beyond. Many international organizations promote the idea of fairness both in production and trade in order to sustain the economy of less developed countries. The same is true in alternative consumer movements across many European and North American countries where fair trade commodities are sold in higher than massive consumption prices. Even the European Commission has put forward a “memo on alternative trade” and the European Parliament adopted the "Resolution on Fair Trade" in 2006. Finally, the European Law is trying recently to comprehend Unfair Commercial Practices in order to crystallize the modern perception of fairness in trade.

There is no better place to contemplate on those important topics, but into a former eastern orthodox monastery of the 18th c., surrounded by 1250 olive trees and under the ruthless light of the Greek summer sun. The 21th Summer School in History of Economic Thought, Economic Philosophy and History of Economics, will give the opportunity of discussing them, with the participation of invited professors, researchers and PhD students. The aim of the Summer School is to provide participants with a state of the art of current reflections, such as these mentioned above, from the perspectives of economic analysis, history of economic thought, economic philosophy and economic history. In accordance with the interdisciplinary spirit of the summer school, its aim is also to establish necessary links with recent developments in sociology, psychology and philosophy.

On the occasion of this Summer School on History of Economic Thought, Economic Philosophy and Economic History, sessions will be dedicated to about 8 conferences on the topic Fairness and the Economy: Theoretical, Ethical and Political Aspects. This topic is to be tackled according to the scientific commitments that are the hallmark of this Summer School:

A concern for putting the topic within an historical perspective.
A reflection on the concepts used to deal with political aspects: their philosophical foundations and their methodological implications.
Interactions with other disciplines.

Program (outline of daily schedule)

Morning (9-10.45 am; 11.15-1.00 pm): 2 lectures on the multiple topics of the summer school.
Afternoon (4.00–7.00 pm): student presentations. Four to six papers will be presented each day on open themes, chosen on the basis of the students’ fields of research, related to the history of economic thought, economic methodology, economic philosophy or economic history. The presentations will take place in the presence of the members of the scientific committee and of some invited speakers, thus covering a broad area of expertise. Each presentation will be commented by a discussant, chosen among the young scholars, followed by a question and answer session with the audience.
Tutorials aiming at helping PhD students with preparation of their work with a view to its further diffusion and publication will be organized between 2.00 and 4.00 pm.

Venue and stay

· Participants should manage to arrive at E. Venizelos airport on August 30th before 16.00. A bus will take all the participants directly to the Conference center, situated 324 + 45 km north of Athens. The possibility of using the international Anchialos Airport of Volos, is yet unknown, since the schedule of the flights will be publicized only in April. You can come of course by yourself from Athens, or even via Thessaloniki’s Airport (100 km closer) and then take the train or the bus to come to Volos (4 hours from Athens, 2.5 from Thessaloniki + 1 hour from the airports to the train or the bus station).

· Up to 20 people could stay in the 9 rooms of the Conference center (8 double rooms and one quadruple). The Hotel Agamemnon, in the heart of the commune of Argalasti (3 km away), has 8 double rooms and 3 triple rooms. A mini-van will take you to the Conference Center from the Hotel.

· Lunch and coffee breaks will be served in the fully equipped facilities of the conference center, while dinners will be organized in the taverns of Argalasti and the nearby villages.

Local Organizing Committee

· Michel Zouboulakis, Professor of Economics
· Paschalis Arvanitidis Assistant Professor of Economics
· Georges Xyrafas, Ph.D., student
· Georges Stefanis, Ph.D. student

Scientific Committee

· Nathalie Sigot (Phare – Professor, Université Paris 1, France)
· André Lapidus (Phare – Professor, Université Paris 1, France)
· Harald Hagemann (Professor, Universität Hohenheim, Germany)
· Çinla Akdere (Lecturer, Middle East Technical University, Turkey)
· Richard Arena (Gredeg – Professor, Université de Nice - Sophia Antipolis, France)
· José Luís Cardoso (Professor, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal)
· Ragip Ege (Beta – Professor, Université de Strasbourg, France)
· Jean-Sébastien Lenfant (Clersé – Professor, Université de Lille 1, France)
· Jean-Pierre Potier (Triangle –Professor, Université Lumière Lyon 2, France)
· Annalisa Rosselli (Professor, Università degli Studi di Roma Tor Vergata, Italy)
· Alfonso Sanchez Hormigo (Professor, Universidad de Zaragoza, Spain)
· Michel Zouboulakis (Professor, University of Thessaly, Greece)