Financial history

• Department of History

Organised by the Economic History and Ideas Working Group, this event features a discussion with EUI Max Weber Fellow Blaise Truong-Loï.

The role of finance in the global economy is both conspicuous and elusive, abstract and tangibly impactful. Financial circulation can go almost unnoticed, but when it stutters or bubbles burst, historical and contemporary crises impact all aspects of social and economic life. After encountering financialisation's impact on housing in our first session, this working group meeting delves deeper into financial history. With the help of two texts - the introduction to Francesca Trivellato's latest book 'The Promise and Peril of Credit' and an article by Olivier Accominotti, Marc Flandreau, and Riad Rezzik on 'credit in the British Empire' - we will discuss the historical dynamics of global capital circulation.

Blaise Truong-Loï will introduce and guide our discussion. He is a Max Weber fellow and received his PhD in history from Sciences Po in 2024. His research explores the social, political, and environmental dimensions of financial globalisation and global economic governance. Drawing on insights from other disciplines (economics, political science, law, sociology…), his work emphasises the significance of the late nineteenth century for understanding contemporary debates on capitalism.

Please register to get a seat or to receive the ZOOM link

Image: The credit clock - 'L'horloge de crédit' - 1850 - National Library of France