Critical Theory in Rome

The program for the 2026 conference is out:
https://sites.google.com/view/ictcir/cfa-and-program
Please contact us if you would like to pre-register.

ICTCR - CFA and Program

Deeply saddened

The new Call for Abstracts is finally out (link here).
We had some issues with a location in Rome, so the 2026 edition will be held in Bologna. We look forward to seeing you there.

CALL FOR ABSTRACTS
18th INTERNATIONAL CRITICAL THEORY CONFERENCE
JUNE 17-18-19, 2026
Alma Mater Studiorum – Università di Bologna

Alma Mater Studiorum – University of Bologna is hosting the 18th international conference on Critical Theory, which will be held at its Department of the Arts (DAR) in Bologna, Italy – Via Barberia 4.
The conference will examine the importance and the developments of the Frankfurt School by addressing both the philosophical tradition of the early stages of Critical Theory – and in particular the works of Walter Benjamin, Theodor W. Adorno, Max Horkheimer and Herbert Marcuse – as well as the application of their theories to our contemporary society. The conference will also address the second and third generation of critical theorists, welcoming, among others, papers on Habermas and Honneth, as well as key influential figures for Critical Theory, such as Lukács and Bloch. In order to reflect the wide range of topics addressed by Critical Theory, the conference will cover different aspects of philosophical reflection on justice, politics, aesthetics, sociology, theology, technology, literature and any other field of study related to the Frankfurt School.
The conference will be held at the Department of the Arts (DAR) of the University of Bologna on June 17-18-19, 2026. It will begin on Wednesday morning and end on Friday evening (after 6pm). During the sessions, each speaker will have 30 minutes (20 minutes for the presentation and 10 for discussion). All presentations will be made in English.

Keynote speakers:
Marina Calloni, Università di Milano – Bicocca
Alessandro Ferrara, University of Rome, Tor Vergata
David Ingram, Loyola University Chicago
Stefano Marino, University of Bologna
Giovanni Matteucci, University of Bologna
Stefano Petrucciani, University of Rome, La Sapienza
David Posner, Loyola University Chicago
Surti Singh, Villanova University
(The list of keynoters might be modified on a later date)

If you are interested in presenting a paper or organizing a panel (of up to 6 speakers), please submit a 1 page abstract by April 4, 2026 (including name, eventual institutional affiliation and email address). Abstracts should be submitted by email. Decisions regarding the program will be made by mid-April 2026.
To submit an abstract, or for more information, contact:
Prof. Bahar Tahsily: [email protected]
Conference fees:
Unwaged (unemployed and/or graduate students): 150 Euro
Waged (employed and/or sponsored speakers): 200 Euro
Check this website for any update: https://sites.google.com/view/ictcir/

Co-sponsored by: Loyola University Chicago, Department of Modern Languages and Literatures and Quinlan Business School
Co-organized by: University of Bologna – Department of the Arts (DAR) and Società Italiana di Teoria Critica (SITC)
(The spaces for the event have been requested from the University of Bologna and we are awaiting the relevant authorization for their use)

ICTCR Since 2007 every year we organize the international Critical Theory conference in different academic venues. These conferences usually gather between 110 and 150 speakers from all over the world from prestigious academic and non-academic institutions. Among the past keynoters we had the pleasure of

The first draft of the program is out, with a new (and still incomplete) webpage:
For speakers: you will receive the program with all relevant information within this week.

ICTCR Since 2007 every year we organize the international Critical Theory conference in different academic venues in Rome. These conference usually gather between 110 and 150 speakers from all over the world from prestigious academic and non-academic institutions. Among the past keynoters we had the

CALL FOR ABSTRACTS
17th INTERNATIONAL CRITICAL THEORY CONFERENCE OF ROME
May 12-13-14, 2025
St. John's University Rome Campus (NEW VENUE)

St. John's University Rome Campus is hosting the 17th international conference on Critical Theory of Rome, which will be held at its campus in Rome, Italy – Via Marcantonio Colonna 21A.
The conference will examine the importance and the developments of the Frankfurt School by addressing both the philosophical tradition of the early stages of Critical Theory – and in particular the works of Walter Benjamin, Theodor W. Adorno, Max Horkheimer and Herbert Marcuse – as well as the application of their theories to our contemporary society. The conference will also address the second and third generation of critical theorists, welcoming, among others, papers on Habermas and Honneth, as well as key influential figures for Critical Theory, such as Lukács and Bloch. In order to reflect the wide range of topics addressed by Critical Theory, the conference will cover different aspects of philosophical reflection on justice, politics, aesthetics, sociology, theology, technology, literature and any other field of study related to the Frankfurt School.
The conference will be held at the St. John's University Rome Campus on May 12-13-14, 2025. It will begin on Monday morning and end by Wednesday evening (after 6pm), with a welcoming reception on the late afternoon of Sunday, May 11. During the sessions, each speaker will have 30 minutes (20 minutes for the presentation and 10 for discussion). All presentations will be made in English.

Keynote speakers:
Marina Calloni, Università di Milano – Bicocca (TBC)
Rebecca Comay, University of Toronto
Andrew Feenberg, Simon Fraser University
Alessandro Ferrara, University of Rome, Tor Vergata
Hille Haker, Loyola University Chicago (TBC)
Stefano Petrucciani, University of Rome, La Sapienza
(Other keynoters might be added to the list on a later date)

If you are interested in presenting a paper or organizing a panel (of up to 6 speakers), please submit a 1-2 page abstract by February 1, 2025 (including name, eventual institutional affiliation and email address). Abstracts should be submitted by email. Decisions regarding the program will be made by mid-March, 2025.
To submit an abstract, or for more information, contact:
Prof. Bahar Tahsily: [email protected]
Conference fees:
Unwaged (unemployed, part-time positions and graduate students): 130 Euro
Waged (full-time positions and sponsored speakers): 180 Euro
Fees include also the reception of May 11 and light lunches throughout the conference.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/INZo7x3_XPk
Full solidarity to Noëlle McAfee, scheduled to talk at our CT Conference in Rome, Sunday, May 5.

Noelle McAfee, Emory University’s Philosophy Department chair, detained in pro-Palestine protest Check out our website: http://www.aa.com.tr/enTwitter: https://twitter.com/anadoluagencyFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/anadoluagencyenglishInstagram: htt...

Theodor Adorno et al.'s "The Authoritarian Personality" gets a positive re-evaluation in a CBC Radio documentary tonight. Featuring our conference comrade Peter Gordon, inter alia...

Who's drawn to fascism? Postwar study of authoritarianism makes a comeback | CBC Radio A groundbreaking study conducted in the wake of the Second World War by a group of scholars rocked the academic world when it was published in 1950 — but fell out of favour. Now a new generation of scholars is reviving the lessons of The Authoritarian Personality to understand the politics of our ...

https://www.luc.edu/rome/about/newsevents/archive/callforabstracts.shtml

www.luc.edu

We are pleased to inform you that we will host the 2024 Critical Theory conference at Loyola’s Rome Center on May 5-7.
Here is the CFA: Please share it in your academic networks.

CALL FOR ABSTRACTS
16th INTERNATIONAL CRITICAL THEORY CONFERENCE OF ROME
May 5-7, 2024
John Felice Rome Center of Loyola University Chicago

The John Felice Rome Center of Loyola University Chicago is hosting the 16th international conference on Critical Theory of Rome, which will be held at its campus in Rome, Italy – Via Massimi 114/A.
The conference will examine the importance and the developments of the Frankfurt School by addressing both the philosophical tradition of the early stages of Critical Theory – and in particular the works of Walter Benjamin, Theodor W. Adorno, Max Horkheimer and Herbert Marcuse – as well as the application of their theories to our contemporary society. The conference will also address the second and third generation of critical theorists, welcoming, among others, papers on Habermas and Honneth. In order to reflect the wide range of topics addressed by Critical Theory, the conference will cover different aspects of philosophical reflection on justice, politics, aesthetics, sociology, theology, technology, literature and any other field of study related to the Frankfurt School.
The conference will be held at the Rome Center of Loyola University Chicago on May 5-7, 2024. It will begin on Sunday morning and end by Tuesday evening (after 6pm), with a welcoming reception on the evening of Saturday, May 4. During the sessions, each speaker will have 30 minutes (20 minutes for the presentation and 10 for discussion). All presentations will be made in English.

Coordinators: Stefano Giacchetti Ludovisi, Loyola University Chicago, JFRC – Andrew Cutrofello, Loyola University Chicago
Organizer: Bahar Tahsily, Loyola University Chicago, JFRC

Keynote speakers:
Alessandro Ferrara, University of Rome, Tor Vergata
Hille Haker, Loyola University Chicago
David Ingram, Loyola University Chicago
Stephan Lessenich, Institute for Social Research, Frankfurt
Stefano Petrucciani, University of Rome, La Sapienza
David Posner, Loyola University Chicago

If you are interested in presenting a paper or organizing a panel (of up to 6 speakers), please submit a 1-2 page abstract by February 3, 2024 (including name, eventual institutional affiliation and email address). Abstracts should be submitted by email. Decisions regarding the program will be made by mid-March, 2024.
To submit an abstract, or for more information, contact:
Prof. Bahar Tahsily: [email protected]

Conference fees:
Unwaged (unemployed, part-time positions and graduate students): 100 Euro
Waged (full-time positions and sponsored speakers): 150 Euro
Fees include also the reception of May 4, and breakfasts, lunches and coffee breaks throughout the conference.

Co-sponsored by the John Felice Rome Center, the Modern Languages and Literatures Department, the Philosophy Department of Loyola University Chicago.