This volume presents an overview of various aspects of the quite diverse philosophical developments that have taken place in Ireland, both past and present. With contributions by some of the leading thinkers in their field, this book is based, although not exclusively so, on papers given at a conference held at Maynooth University, Ireland, in 2012 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Irish Philosophical Society.
Rather than treating philosophy in Ireland in a systematic and comprehensive way, the contributions give the reader a glimpse of the state of philosophy in Ireland today. They show that, from the beginning, and throughout the centuries, the philosophical tradition in Ireland has been characterised by dialogue. This dialogical aspect of Irish philosophising remains alive today. The book demonstrates how this engagement encompasses the past as interlocutor, as well as interactions with the philosophical debates that take place outside of Ireland, both on the continent and within the Anglo-American tradition.
The volume puts forward a strong argument that the future of philosophy in Ireland should not move towards an ever-greater specialisation, thereby resulting in the isolation and impoverishment of individual philosophical traditions. Rather, it argues that the different traditions should remain, and should engage in dialogue with each other, with their philosophical and intellectual past, and stay steadfastly connected with the society around them.
