Location: Consulate General of Italy in New York 690 Park Avenue, New York.

Humanities in the 21st Century. Human sciences in Italy since Unification: historical and methodological dynamics

A conference organized by the Italian Cultural Institute of New York under the patronage of Accademia dei Lincei in Rome.

Premise:
Humanities in the Western world are the pillars of the identity of our civilization and change continuously. They also are characterized by national and local peculiarities. In any case they represent what is universal in the background knowledge of Western citizens and even more so for the citizens of the world.
“Why democracy needs the humanities” is the subtitle of an important book of Martha C. Nussbaum. Human sciences and in particular the classics are fundamental for the growth of a critical attitude and a democratic awareness of the citizens. Nevertheless most of the governments in the world are marginalizing humanities in education and research. Unfortunately Italy is following this negative international trend.

This conference wishes to emphasize the importance of humanities in Italian history, and 150 Years of development of the human sciences will be analyzed by the speakers.
How have the human sciences changed, both methodologically and epistemologically? What was opened in this regard toward the international scientific community? What was the influence of Italian human science to the development of Humanities abroad? These are some of the questions that will be answered at the Conference.

download program

Program

09:00am Welcome Remarks
Riccardo Viale (Italian Cultural Institute Director)
Natalia Quintavalle (Consul General of Italy in New York)

I Session
09:15am History, Edoardo Tortarolo (University of Piemonte Orientale)
09:45am Archaeology, Clemente Marconi (New York University)
10:15am Anthropology, Michael Blim (CUNY Graduate Center)
10:45am Discussion

11:15am, Coffee Break

II Session
11:30am Italian Literature, Fabio Finotti (University of Pennsylvania)
12:00pm Greek and Roman Civilizations, Nino Luraghi (Princeton University)
12:30pm Linguistics, Mario Saltarelli (University of Southern California)
1:00pm Discussion

1:30pm – 2:00pm Lunch Break

III session
2:00pm Law, Susanna Mancini (University of Bologna)
2:30pm Philosophy, Maurizio Ferraris (University of Turin)
3:00pm Political Science, Nadia Urbinati (Columbia University)
3:30pm Discussion

4:00pm Coffee Break

IV Session
4:15pm Psychology, Laura Macchi (Bicocca University, Milan)
4:45pm Sociology, Roberto Franzosi (Emory University)
5:15pm Political Economy, Luigino Bruni (Bicocca University, Milan)
5:45pm Discussion

6:15pm Conclusion, Giuliano Amato
(Chairman of the National Committee for the celebration of the 150th Anniversary of
the Unification of Italy)

After the conference a guided tour of the exhibition “150 years of Italian Genius:
innovation changing the world” at the Italian Cultural Institute (686 Park Avenue, New
York) will be scheduled.

R.S.V.P.
events.iicnewyork@esteri.it