The search for the common good in the classical liberal tradition
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The search for the common good in the classical liberal tradition
Classical liberals are known to be skeptical about concepts such as general interest or social justice. For that reason, they are often classified among the individualistic, the selfish and soulless persons. They wouldn’t care about others! Such judgment shows a total ignorance of what liberalism really is, in theory as well as in practice.
The classical liberal tradition developed through a trial-and-error process attempting to find the proper institutions for our societies; the ones that would empower everyone, regardless of religion or origin, to follow their own aspiration –their personal vision of “the good life”. Tolerance was one of its key ideas. In that sense this tradition was in search of the common good.
This is how the defense of property came to be the paramount element of a liberal society. Institutions protecting property would give each one a chance to flourish. But that’s not all! Property, for reasons we progressively understand, turns out to be the best way to promote the many things those who appeal to “the general interest” or “social justice” are attempting to promote: access to a good education for everyone, access to better healthcare, better protection against accidents, better environment.
The 2025 edition of the International Summer University in Political Science will be the place to inquire into those topics with the contributions, as always, of top scholars but also of those acting today to bring about a better world without relying on the coercion of the State.
Thursday July 10
- July 10, 2025 19:00Welcoming cocktail
Hotel Aquabella, Aix-en-Provence
Welcome speech by Prof. Pierre Garello
Keynote speeches by H.S.H. Prince Michael of Lichtenstein - (Réflexions libérales sur l’actualité)
and Jean-Philippe Delsol (Bien commun, état de droit et intérêt général)
Friday July 11
- July 11, 2025 8:30Coffee & Croissants
(Plenary sessions with simultaneous translations /
Session plénière avec traduction simultanée)Amphi Dumas – Bâtiment Portalis –
Faculté de Droit et de Sciences Politiques - July 11, 2025 9:00Plenary session
Welcoming address from Jean-Philippe Delsol (IREF) et Pierre Garello (IES-Europe)
&
Dean of the Law School: Jean-Baptiste Perrier - July 11, 2025 10:05Plenary session
Common goods and classical liberal anthropology
Chairman: Pierre Garello (Aix-Marseille University)
Tom Palmer (Atlas Network and Cato Institute)
Mario Rizzo (New York University): Humanomics
Jack Painter: Natural rights and the common goods - July 11, 2025 11:05Break
- July 11, 2025 11:35Plenary session
The Common good in modern discourse
Chairperson : Agnieszka Słomka-Gołębiowska (Warsaw School of Economics)
Enrico Colombatto (University of Torino):: Questionable foundations of
mainstream economics: public goods, common goods, merit goods and
the social wellbeingRenaud Fillieule (Université de Lille): Le bien commun peut-il être organisé d’en
haut?Jean-Philippe Feldman (IREF): Bien commun, intérêt général et relativisme moral
- July 11, 2025 12:40Lunch break
Amphi Dumas et Amphi Mistral – Faculté de Droit et de Sciences Politiques
- July 11, 2025 14:00Parallel Session
Which monetary system will best serve the common good
Chairman: Lorent Carnis (Université Eiffel)
Bob Lyddon (Payment and Banking consultant),
Radu Nechita (Babeș-Bolyai University University, Cluj-Napoca)Quel système monétaire préserve le bien commun
Chairman: Erwan Queinnec (Université Paris 13)
Nathalie Janson (Neoma Business School)
Antoine Gentier (Aix-Marseille Université)
Jean-Claude Gruffat (ancien directeur de Citygroup) - July 11, 2025 15:05Parallel Session
Which kind of democracy best serves the common good
Chairman: Krassen Stanchev (Institute for Market Economics)
Nils Karlson (Ratio Institute) Welfare after the Welfare State
Barry Macleod-Cullinane (Communications & Public Affairs) Elinor Ostrom and
Lon L. Fuller on institutionsQue faut-il pour que nos démocraties servent le bien commun ?
Chariman: Renaud Fillieule (Université de Lille)
Nouh El Harmouzi (Ibn Tofail University) Politique international et démocraties
Emmanuel Martin (Aix-Marseille Université) Redevabilité et transparence - July 11, 2025 16:05Break
- July 11, 2025 16:30Parallel Session
Capitalism and Cooperation: Markets for the Common Good, from Adam Smith to
Deirdre McCloskeyChairperson: Kerry Halferty-Hardy (IES-Europe, lecturer at ESCP business school)
Bradley Hobbs (Clemson University)
Nikolai Wenzel (Univesidad dell Hesperides)Entrepreunariat et bien commun
Chairperson: Olivier Méresse (Consultant, Animateur Radio)
Hervé Novelli (Entrepreneur, ancien Secrétaire d’Etat)
Gilbert Bougi (Aix-Marseille Université) - July 11, 2025 17:45Keynote
Introduced by Pierre Garello (Aix-Marseille University)
Randy Barnett (Georgetown Law School)
Libertarian Nationalism and the Need for Borders - July 11, 2025 19:00Cocktail
Honoring Prof. Jacques Garello, former Director of
the Summer University and President of ALEPS
Welcomed by Pr. Dominque Augey (City of Aix)Hommage au Prof. Jacques Garello
Jean-Pierre Centi, Tom Palmer, Jiři Schwarz
Saturday July 12
- July 12, 2025 8:30Coffee & Croissants
(Plenary sessions with simultaneous translations /
Session plénière avec traduction simultanée)Amphi Dumas – Bâtiment Portalis – Faculté de Droit et de Sciences Politiques
- July 12, 2025 9:00Plenary Session
Free Trade and the Common Good
Chairperson: Nathalie Janson (NEOMA Business School)
Don Boudreaux (George Mason University)
Reem Ibrahim (Instiut of Economic Affairs & EPICENTER): The African Continental Free Trade Area - July 12, 2025 10:10Break
- July 12, 2025 10:40Plenary Session
Fiscal competition: Serving the common good or Race to the bottom?
Chairman: Diana Năsuela (IES-Europe)
François Facchini (Université Paris 1)
Javier Fernández-Lasquetti (Former Minister of Finance of the Madrid Region)
Tax competition: socialism is not mandatory - July 12, 2025 11:40Plenary session
Civil Society and the Common Good
Chairperson: Dominique Lasanzky
Lord Syed Kamall (University of Buckingham)
Aaron Kunaseelan (The Second Tree): Resetting Migration Narratives - July 12, 2025 12:40Lunch Break
Amphi Dumas et Amphi Mistral – Faculté de Droit et de Sciences Politiques
- July 12, 2025 14:00Parallel Session
Under which conditions can AI contribute to the common good?
Chairperson: Pierre Garello (Aix-Marseille Université)
Dominique Lazanski (University of Pittsburgh)
Carlo Cordasco (University of Manchester)Que faut-il pour que l’IA serve le bien commun?
Chairperson: Elodie Messéant (Journaliste, IREF)
Jean-Pierre Chamoux (Université Paris Cité)
Christian Năsulea (IES-Europe, Univ. de Bucarest) - July 12, 2025 15:05Parallel Session
Promoting the Common good in practice (I)
Chairperson: Jean-Pierre Chamoux (Univ. Paris Cité)
Krassen Stanchev (Institute for Market Economy), Fighting Organized Crime:
Greg Rehmke (Economic Thinking) The Hidden Half of Nature: Microbes,
Mitochondria, and MarketsLa promotion du bien commun: aspects pratiques (I)
Chairperson: Lisa Kamen-Hirsig (Institutrice, Chargé de communication, Essayiste)
Nicolas Lecaussin (IREF)
Guillaume Labbez (CommStrat) Le seul bien commun est la liberté, encore faut-
Il la défendre - July 12, 2025 16:05Break
- July 12, 2025 16:30Parallel Session
Promoting the Common good in practice (II)
Chairman: Christian Năsulea (IES-Europe, Univ. of Bucharest)
Eszter Nova (Cevro Institute, Prague), Can immortality serve the common good?
Adam Bartha (EPICENTER, Belgium): Why free marketeers should embrace the EULa promotion du bien commun: aspects pratiques (II)
Chairman: Pierre Garello
Kevin Brookes (Génération Libre), Les français et le libéralisme
Erwan Queinnec (Université Paris Cité), Le principe de précaution: serviteur ou
ennemi du bien commun? - July 12, 2025 17:45Keynote
Amphi Dumas, FDSP
Introduit par François Facchini (Université Paris 1)
Deirdre McCloskey (University of Illinois at Chicago and Cato Institute):
Equality of Permission: The First and Best Liberalism - July 12, 2025 20:30Closing Dinner
At La Campagne, Venelles
Invited Speaker presented by Diana Năsulea :
Dr. Paul Schwennesen, Defense Analyst and Environmental historian (Fighting for Liberty in Ukraine)Invited musicians: Angel Zaberski, Vera Chandelle – Edith Piaf en liberté
Registration Without Room on Campus
250,00 €
Registration (without room on campus)
Includes conference fees, meals and cocktails.
Registration With Room on Campus
350,00 €
Registration (WITH student room)
Includes accommodation on campus, conference fees, meals and cocktails.
Registration With Support for One Student
600,00 €
Pay for yourself and one student applying for financial support.
Includes:
Conference fees, meals and cocktails for you
Accommodation on campus, conference fees, meals and cocktails for one student.
Montreal Economic Institute
EPICENTER
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