CFP: 18th International Critical Theory Conference

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)