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Irish Philosophy in the Age of Berkeley

The Irish Philosophy in the Age of Berkeley conference will take place in the Trinity Long Room Hub Neill Lecture Theatre on 5 and 6 April, 2019.

George Berkeley’s Treatise concerning the Principles of Human Knowledge (1710) and Three Dialogues between Hylas and Philonous (1713) are standard texts in the philosophy curricula of most European and American universities. No other Irish philosopher, and no other work of Berkeley’s, has achieved this ‘canonical’ status. However, there was a vibrant philosophical scene in Ireland in Berkeley’s lifetime, to which Berkeley was far from the only contributor. Studying this broader Irish philosophical discussion will improve our understanding of Berkeley and also of early modern philosophy more generally.

The Irish Philosophy in the Age of Berkeley conference will include general exploration of the intellectual culture of early modern Ireland as well as examination of specific thinkers with significant connections to Ireland active during Berkeley’s lifetime (1685–1753), including Robert Boyle (1627–1691); Edward Synge (1659–1741); John Toland (1670–1722); Peter Browne (d. 1735); Henry Maul (1676-1758); Mary Barber (c. 1685-1755); Francis Hutcheson (1694–1746); Constantia Grierson (1704-1732); Laetitia Pilkington (c. 1709-1750); and John Austin (1717-1784).

The papers will address:

The Irish context of Berkeley’s philosophy.
The philosophical work of other Irish thinkers active during Berkeley’s lifetime.
The reception within Ireland of other philosophical figures, ideas, and movements.
The reception of Irish philosophy outside Ireland.

Papers presented at the conference will be published as part of the Royal Institute of Philosophy Supplements series, Cambridge University Press.

Participants and attendees may also be interested in attending Berkeleian Minds: Will and Understanding, to be held at the University of York on 2 and 3 April.

Invited Speakers

Lisa Downing, Professor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, USA

Boyle's Powers

Eric Schliesser, Professor of Political Science, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands

The Wilson-Garber Debate on Berkeley on Corpuscles Reconsidered in Light of Toland and Clarke on the Role of God's Order in Science

Kate Davison, Lecturer in Long Eighteenth-Century History, University of Sheffield, UK

'Plainly of Considerable Moment in Human Society': Francis Hutcheson and Eighteenth-Century Philosophies of Laughter

Schedule

All events will take place in the Trinity Long Room Hub O’Neill Lecture Theatre, unless otherwise noted.

No registration is required to attend the conference. However, those wishing to attend the Friday evening reception are requested to RSVP by email to Takaharu Oda (odat@tcd.ie).

Friday 5 April

9:00-9:10

Welcome

Panel 1: Education and Gender

9:10-10:00	What the Dublin Women of the ‘Triumfeminate’ did with John Locke Christine Gerrard, Professor of English Literature and Tutorial Fellow, Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford University, UK
10:10-11:00	From Hypatia to Serena: John Toland's Women Ian Leask, Lecturer in Philosophy, Dublin City University, Ireland
11:11-30	Coffee/Tea
11:30-12:20	Berkeley and Previous Bishops of Cloyne on Education as Means of Conversion Marta Szymańska-Lewoszewska, independent scholar, Poland
12:20-13:20	Lunch

Book Exhibition

13:30-14:30

Henry Jones Room, Old Library

A selection of relevant works from TCD’s Early Printed Books collection will be on display.

Panel 2: Francis Hutcheson

15:00-15:50	Berkeley’s Main Criticism of Shaftesbury and Hutcheson Samuel Rickless, Professor of Philosophy, University of California San Diego, USA
15:50-16:10	Coffee/Tea
16:10-17:00	Francis Hutcheson on Liberty and Self-Mastery Ruth Boeker, Assistant Professor of Philosophy, University College Dublin, Ireland
17:10-18:00	'Plainly of Considerable Moment in Human Society': Francis Hutcheson and Eighteenth-Century Philosophies of Laughter Kate Davison, Lecturer in Long Eighteenth-Century History, University of Sheffield, UK

Reception

18:30-20:30

Trinity City Hotel (light refreshments provided)

Saturday 6 April

Panel 3: Knowledge and Perception

9:00-9:50	Peter Browne on the Metaphysics of Knowledge Kenneth Pearce, Ussher Assistant Professor in Berkeley Studies, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
10:00-10:50	John Austin SJ (1717-84), the First Irish Catholic Cartesian? Jacob Schmutz, Maître de Conferénces en Philosophie, Université Paris-Sorbonne, France
10:50-11:30	Coffee/Tea
11:30-12:20	The Irish Context of Berkeley’s ‘Resemblance Thesis’ Manuel Fasko, Doktorand in Geschichte der Philosophie, Universität Zürich, Switzerland Peter West, Phd Candidate and Adjunct Lecturer in Philosophy, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
12:20-14:30	Lunch

Panel 4: Natural and Social Sciences

14:30-15:20	Poverty and Prosperity: The Irish School of Political Economics Marc Hight, Elliot Professor of Philosophy, Hampden-Sydney College, USA
15:20-16:00	Coffee/Tea
16:00-16:50	The Wilson-Garber Debate on Berkeley on Corpuscles Reconsidered in Light of Toland and Clarke on the Role of God’s Order in Science Eric Schliesser, Professor of Political Science, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
17:00-17:50	Boyle’s Powers Lisa Downing, Professor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, USA