As every summer, at its small campus by the Aegean Sea in Stagira (now Olympiada), Aristotle’s birthplace, we will gather for another week of σχολή to speak of “the political and its limits, or and its others.” Our summer schools are always structured as σχολή which allows enough time to have both a holiday in Greece but also participate in engaging lively conversations as well as hear established keynote speeches but also the presentations of the participants (which are often no less exciting than the keynote speeches). The of the SMR Summer School “The Political and its Limits” will take place from 26th to 31st of July 2026 (excluding arrivals/departures). Confirmed speakers to deliver master classes: Alenka Zupančič, Gil Anidjar and Amanda Beech, and a keynote address from Haela Hunt-Hendrix as a guest speaker.

“Political” in the contemporary sense, and as bound by its disciplinary definitions in political science and political philosophy, assigns societal categories, forms of law and moralities to the edges or beyond the limits of what is political. Yet again, these excluded categories are both legislated by the Political within its limits of “discursive legibility,” in Judith Butler’s parlance, and relegated to the realms of the pre-political (including anti-political, non-political). The “beyond political” serves to constitute the political as its Other, to be subjugated or negated by it, but also to be kept at bay as the source of elemental revolt, i.e., “prepolitical.”

Preliminary description or tentative titles of the master classes

Alenka Zupančič will offer two master classes on the following topics: Can we devise recipes for what would be “truly” political, or politically efficient, and not just a continuation of non-politics by political means, which is how politics seems to work most of the time? Is “true politics” an exception to politics itself? We could agree that it is rare, but how are we to situate it? Could we even do this in abstract terms, or does it always depend on concrete circumstances rather than on some pre-established substance of the political? We will be looking into the relationship between the structural/a-historical and the contingent/historical at work in social formations, and attempting to show in which ways they imply, consolidate, or disrupt each other. Another emphasis will be on examining the vocabulary used today to describe our political moment: “radical,” “radicalization,” “extremism,” and the like.

Gil Anidjar: The Concept of the Antipolitical

Anidjar’s masterclass, “The Concept of the Antipolitical” investigates the boundaries of the political in the wake of the Copernican revolution. Drawing on Cedric Robinson’s notion of the antipolitical and on Laplanche’s suggestion with regard to an “Unfinished Copernican Revolution,” the course will asks whether politics might be said to revolve around a different center, whether it has been de-centered, ex-centered or perhaps without a center at all. Are there alternative gravitational fields, antipolitical fields or objects that merit reflection but have not quite gained the excentric attention they deserve? In order to address these questions, we will turn our attention, primarily, to mothers.

Amanda Beech: Art and the Construction of the Necessary (Draft title)

Art’s mid-20th-century alignment with Marxian and critical theory has slid into Romantic capitalist and irrationalist aesthetics, entangling it in bourgeois idealism. Unable to shift to dialectical materialism without fetishizing its illusory freedom or negating emancipatory possibilities, art faces a paradox: achieving political relevance may require its own destruction, leading to political quietism and pessimism. Despite appearances, art remains steeped in a theological and capitalist identity, perpetuating a solipsistic, atheistic theology that manifests as objective idealism—an indifferent, sensual form resistant to historical engagement. Can art, often marginalized as non-political, become a political possibility? Drawing on Georg Lukacs’ critiques of irrationalism, particularly his analysis of fascism and Schelling, this exploration examines how art might bridge its idealism to concrete praxis. By investigating whether art can construct the “necessary” for political transformation, it engages the summer school’s theme of probing the political’s boundaries and its constitutive others, like art, deemed prepolitical or extreme.

Haela Hunt Hendrix will announce her topic and format of intervention: TBA.

NB: The Summer School is structured as a symposium/conference and the participants will have the opportunity to present their own work followed by Q&A. The entire collection, or several of them combining contributions from the previous summer school, will be published by an international press as a collection or an edited book.

Practicalities: application process, ECTS certificates, fees, and hospitality at the campus including a week to eight days of accommodation

Application process

We invite you to apply as a participant to the summer school which allows you to simply follow the program but also to submit a proposal to present in the afternoon panels. Apply on this link. Based on your application, and particularly the motivation section of the application form, we will select not more than 25 prospective participants for in person participation and not more than 10 for online participation. The online component is fully integrated in the program which takes place fully in the zoom room as on-site. All discussion and interjection in exchanges must take place via zoom as well, a task for which SMR is fully prepared in 2025.

You can access the application form directly by clicking on this link

The deadline for submitting you application is January 30th, 2026

Program completion and certificates

We issue ECTS certificates for the participants of the Summer School that are students, and for the teachers and postdocs certificates of participation to include in their professional portfolio.

Scholē (in the original Greek sense: leisure and study as part of it), or simply time for pleasure and relaxation, is as important as the program itself: It is a key part of the overall experience, and we will make sure to allow for sufficient beach time, as the Campus is placed only 40 feet away from the beautiful city beach of Olympiada, and only 1000 meters from the site of ancient Stagira and the beautiful rocky beach next to it called Amos. The break between lunch and late afternoon sessions will allow you to do just that: enjoy a holiday in Greece with peers with whom you can exchange all sorts of ideas inspired by the morning talk, discussions and the informal program we (but also you) will put together such as movie nights with wine, and similar.

Accommodation at the Campus

In the dormitory area we offer fully furnished and newly built bedrooms, toilets, and showers, and shared spacious balconies facing Mount Athos where you can have your breakfast if you choose so. Along with the accommodation you receive access to the kitchen/coffee station, cookers and laundry area in case you want to quickly prepare your meals or wash your cloths. Also, we will all sometimes cook for you or cook together. Breakfast is served every morning.

The kitchen/laundry area is linked with a corridor with the classroom area, a building attached to the dormitory, and will be accessible between 09.00 AM and 07.00 PM. To see the capacities of the building, check out this website https://www.smrgreece.com/ Breakfast will be served every morning with a rich variety of choices, covering a spectrum dietary preference including vegetarian and vegan. (Additionally, we will try to provide some gluten free options as well, but we cannot guarantee the quantity as our supply options are relatively limited.)

We have included additional pieces of furniture, decoration, balcony furniture and other details and we trust you will enjoy your stay. Keep in mind that we cannot accommodate more than 13 participants at the campus. Some of you will have to arrange your own accommodation in Olympiada which, if shared, is quite affordable. So, if you wish to be housed by us, try to submit your application as soon as possible.

Hospitality is handled by SMR – Greece, our partner company, and the fee it charges is 470 euro per week (you can stay an extra day or two, if necessary, you won’t be charged extra) including VAT (24% of the total).

Program fee

This fee is charged to help raise funds to reward our speakers, onsite team that would be cleaning and cooking for you, the coordination and organization assistants, and to be able to treat with you with both great food and program too! The program fee is 550 euro, and it will be charged by one of the academic institutions constituting SMR as a platform or one of the partner institutions depending on program responsibilities. Some of you can apply for partial waivers and the criteria as always are a balance between your academic merit and your socio-economic situation. SMR affiliates are automatically granted 40% discount.

Note: Most of our participants are funded by their universities and thus require our invitation to apply for funds. So, if this is your case, apply sooner rather than later in order to arrange the letter of support or invitation that you will require for your university’s financial support. Some of you will need a Schengen visa and therefore should also submit sooner rather than later (these participants will have to be housed at the SMR Campus).

Transportation from and to the airport

There is public transportation leaving straight from the airport which is one hour away from the Olympiada. However, if you want to arrive fast and comfortably, we advise you to take the Hellenic Transportation shuttle and share it with other participants (a ride costs 100 to 130 euro). We can help organize you in time-slots depending on your arrival hours so you can share a shuttle for approximately 30 euro per person or less, and also book the pickup for you.

Online participation

The online component is fully integrated in the program which takes place fully in the zoom room as on-site. All discussion and interjection in exchanges must take place via zoom as well, a task for which SMR is fully prepared in 2026. Your experience will be seamless as close as possible to being at campus in person. You can also apply to present as part of the official program. Participation fee for the online component is 370 euro (VAT included).