Science, Politics, and the Economy – The Unintended Consequences of a Diabolic Paradox

2014 marks the 300th anniversary of the publication of Bernard Mandeville’s Fable of the Bees, or Private Vices, Publick Benefits and the centennial of Erasmus University. To celebrate both events and in honour of one of Rotterdam’s most famous citizens, the Faculty of Philosophy of the Erasmus University hosts an international conference on the work of Mandeville: its historical and intellectual context, and its contemporary relevance. The conference aims to bring together scholars from the history of science and medicine, social and political science, philosophy and economics to assess Mandeville’s work and his lasting influence.

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