Richard Price’s Prudence and the Unintentional Invention of Modern Capitalist Values (1758-1790) – Jake Soll (University of Southern California)

This is the Annual Lecture of the Utrecht University Centre for Early Modern Studies. Register at: https://www.uu.nl/en/research/utrecht-centre-for-early-modern-studies/events/annual-lecture

Date and time: Thursday 15 May, 15:30-17:00

Place: Utrecht, Alex Brenninkmeijerzaal, Johanna Hudiggebouw, Achter Sint Pieter 200.

Historians have typically traced a the tradition of Machiavellian Classical Republicanism as a political and moral movement opposed to commercial values.  While recent research has shown pro-commercial strains of republicanism—in the Dutch Republic for example—my presentation will show a more complex relationship between republican ideas of liberty and capitalist traditions.  The example of Richard Price shows a remarkable attempt to use capitalism to create an innovative form of prudence to mitigate the dangers of finance and complex trade.  Paradoxically, by trying balance greed and finance with anccounting and probabilistic prudence, Richard Price helped build essential elements that would support the rise of financial capitalism.

This talk is organized by UUCEMS in collaboration with the Descartes Center.

Beyond the ‘Minister-Concubine Complex’: Rethinking Bureaucracy and Masculinity in Ming China (1368-1644) – Lecture by Ying Zhang (Leiden)

Date and time: 21 May 2025, 16.00-18.00

Location: Amsterdam, University Library, Potgieterzaal

This lecture is organised with the research group Global Political Thought of the University of Amsterdam. See: https://ash.uva.nl/content/research-groups/global-political-thought/global-political-thought.html