Biography
My initial work in philosophy was on the philosophy of logic of Wittgenstein"s Tractatus (MA UCD 1990) and the debate about analyticity between Carnap and Quine (PhD TCD 1996). From this I became interested in the issue of cognitive relativism, how it emerged from this classic tradition of analytic philosophy and developed in later figures such as Davidson, Putnam and Rorty. I published Relativism (Routledge 2002) and a number of papers in this area. I worked at St Catherine"s college Oxford, coming back to TCD in 1997 and being made Fellow in 2003. Paralleling this I also had an interest in Philosophy of Religion, especially in the work of Thomas Aquinas, read in an analytic idiom. I published Philosophical Theology (Priory Institute 2008), Aquinas"s Philosophy of Religion (Palgrave 2014) and various papers on this. Training in and being accredited as a psychotherapist (MIACP 2009) led me to think about the factors that influence one"s choice of topic and style of doing philosophy. In recent years I have been writing about this, using ideas from virtue epistemology (specifically about the virtue of wisdom) and thinking about the connection between biography and philosophy. I edited Consolations of Philosophy: Reflections in an Economic Downturn (Dublin 2011). I was Head of Dept of Philosophy 2015-2020, becoming a member of College Council and also Head of School of Social Sciences and Philosophy in 2022.
Publications and Further Research Outputs
Peer-Reviewed Publications
"Aquinas, Authority and Tradition" in, editor(s)Carla Bagnoli and Vincenzo Pacillo , Religious Authorities and Practices and Conflict Resolution, London, Routledge, 2025, [Paul O'Grady]
Paul O'Grady, "Philosophy and Biography", Metaphilosophy, 55, (3), 2024, p328 - 337
Paul O'Grady, "Wisdom and Methodological Diversity in Philosophy of Religion", Religious Studies, 60, (1), 2024, p65 - 76
Paul O'Grady, "Incommensurability and Wisdom: Reply to Duttweiler", Theophron Journal of Christian Studies, Vol.2, (n.1), 2023, p28 - 35
Paul O'Grady, "Aquinas on Wisdom", New Blackfriars, Vol.104, (n.1113), 2023, p726 - 750
Paul O'Grady, "McCabe: Philosophy and Theology", Doctrine and Life, 2021
"Relativism and Religion" in, editor(s)Martin Kusch , The Routledge Handbook of Relativism, London, Routledge, 2020, pp543 - 552, [Paul O'Grady]
"Aquinas and Agnosticism" in, editor(s)F.Fallon and G.Hyman , Agnosticism: Explorations in Philosophy and Religious Thought, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2020, pp163 - 185, [Paul O'Grady]
Paul O'Grady, La Philosophie de la Religion de Thomas d'Aquin, Rennes, Presses Universitaries de Rennes, 2019, 1 - 294pp
Paul O'Grady, "Existence and Wisdom", Annals of Philosophy, Vol.67, (N.4), 2019, p105 - 116
Paul O'Grady, "Theoretical Wisdom", Journal of Value Inquiry, Vol.54, (N.1), 2019, p415 - 431
Paul O'Grady, 'Grimm Wisdom', Annals of Philosophy, 66, (1), 2018, p67 - 77
Paul O'Grady, 'Epistemology and Wellbeing', European Journal of Philosophy of Religion, 10, (1), 2018, p97 - 115
'Aquinas's Philosophy of Religion', Duncan Pritchard, Oxford Bibliographies Online, 2015, [Paul O'Grady]
Paul O'Grady, Aquinas's Philosophy of Religion, London, Palgrave Macmillan, 2014, xiv + 246pp
'Philosophy and Gestalt Psychotherapy' in, editor(s)Chase, M, Clarke, S., McGhee, M. , Philosophy as a Way of Life, Oxford, wiley-Blackwell, 2013, pp223 - 240, [Paul O'Grady]
'Relativism', Duncan Pritchard (General Editor), Oxford Bibliographies Online, 2012, [Paul O'Grady]
Paul O'Grady, 'McCabe, Wittgenstein and Aquinas', New Blackfriars, 2012, p631 - 644
Paul O'Grady, The Consolations of Philosophy: Reflections in an Economic Downturn, Columba Press, 2011, 1-191pp
'Introduction: Philosophy and Irish Culture' in, editor(s)Paul O'Grady , The Consolations of Philosophy, Dublin, Columba, 2011, pp7 - 19, [Paul O'Grady]
Paul O'Grady, 'Faultless Disagreement', Irish Philosophical Journal, 11, (2), 2011
Paul O'Grady, 'Aquinas and Naturalism', European Journal of Philosophy of Religion, Vol.3, (2), 2011, p369 - 385
'Finding Consolation in God: Boethius's Consolation of Philosophy' in, editor(s)Paul O'Grady , The Consolations of Philosophy: Reflections in an Economic Downturn, Dublin, Columba, 2011, pp20 - 34, [Paul O'Grady]
Paul O'Grady, 'Relativism about Truth', International Journal of Philosophical Studies, 2010, p281 - 293
Disaccordi Legitimi in, editor(s)Villa and Pini , Il Relativismo, Palermo, Aracne, 2010, [Paul O'Grady]
George Berkeley, Dictionary of Irish Biography, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2009, [Paul O'Grady]
'The Existence of God' in, editor(s)Shand J. , Central Problems of Philosophy, Oxford, Blackwell, 2009, [Paul O'Grady]
Paul O'Grady, Philosophical Theology, Dublin, Priory Institute, 2008, x + 290pp
'Buddhism' in, World Religions, Dublin, Priory Institute, 2007, [Paul O'Grady]
'Two Dogmas and Empiricism' in, editor(s)O'Grady John, Scherle,Peter , Theology From the Rim, Lit Verlag, 2007, [Paul O'Grady]
Paul O'Grady, Themes in Modern Philosophy, Dublin, Priory Institute, 2006, 1 - 204pp
Paul O'Grady, Introduction to Philosophy, Dublin, Priory Institute, 2005
Paul O'Grady, Form and Emptiness: Aquinas and Nagarjuna, Contemporary Buddhism, Vol.6, (2), 2005, p173 - 188
Aquinas, Philosophical Theology and Analytical Philosophy in, editor(s)R. Van Niewenhove and J. Wawrykov , The Theology of Thomas Aquinas, Notre Dame, Notre Dame University Press, 2005, [Paul O'Grady]
Aquinas: Summa Theologiae in, editor(s)John Shand , Central Works of Philosophy 1, Chesham, Acumen, 2005, [Paul O'Grady]
Paul O'Grady, Wittgenstein and Relativism, International Journal of Philosophical Studies, Vol. 12, (3), 2004, p315 - 337
Paul O'Grady, Aquinas and the Arguments of the Philosophers, Doctrine and Life, 2004
Spirituality: A Conceptual Analysis in, editor(s)M. Cogan , An Introduction to Christian Spirituality, Dublin, Priory Institute, 2004, [Paul O'Grady]
Paul O'Grady, How Far Can You Go? Reply to Gregory, Philosophy and Phenomenological Research, LXVII, (3), 2003
Paul O'Grady, Zen and Some Unruly Dominicans, Spirituality, 9, (49), 2003
Paul O'Grady, From Lhasa to Rome, Contemporary Buddhism, 4, (2), 2003
Paul O'Grady, Relativism, Chesham, Acumen, 2002
Paul O'Grady, Anti-Foundationalism and Radical Orthodoxy, New Blackfriars, 81, (950), 2000
Paul O'Grady, Karl-Otto Apel's Interpretation of Wittgenstein, Freiburger Zeitschrift fur Philosophie und Theologie, 46, (3), 1999
Paul O'Grady, Carnap and Two Dogmas of Empiricism, Philosophy and Phenomenological Research, LIX, (4), 1999
Paul O'Grady, From Agnosticism to Zen, International Journal of Philosophical Studies, 6, (3), 1998
Paul O'Grady, Aquinas on Modal Propositions: A Translation and Study, International Philosophical Quarterly, 37, (1), 1997
Paul O'Grady, Wittgenstein's Fundamental Thought, Milltown Studies, 38, (1), 1996
Paul O'Grady, Anscombe on the Tractatus, Philosophy, 71, (2), 1996
Paul O'Grady, The Russellian Roots of Naturalized Epistemology, Russell: The Journal of the Russell Archive, 15, (1), 1995
Paul O'Grady, Reason and Madness - A Reply, Milltown Studies, 32, (1), 1993
Non-Peer-Reviewed Publications
Paul O'Grady, "Finished Ulysses? Put this 100-year-old classic on your reading list". Irish Times, 2022, - 28/07/
Paul O'Grady, "Coronavirus: How can philosophy help us in this time of crisis?" Irish Times, 2020, - 26/03/
Paul O'Grady, "How to become wise: it takes more than googling" Irish Times, 2018, - 09/01/
Paul O'Grady, "Is it fair to label Bono a hypocrite over his tax affairs - or is hypocrisy just part of life?" Irish Independent, 2017, - 12/11/
Paul O'Grady, Review of Thomas Aquinas's Summa Theologiae: A Guide and a Commentary, by Brian Davies , Religious Studies, 53, (3), 2017
Paul O'Grady, "Philosophers' work is to tease out arguments not to hold forth in outrage" Irish Times, 2014, - 22/01/
Paul O'Grady, "Who'll care for our deepest selves?" Irish Times, 2012, - 28/01/
Paul O'Grady, Review of Analytic Theology: New Essays in the Philosophy of Theology, by Oliver Crisp and Michael Rea (eds) , New Blackfriars, 92, (1041), 2011
Paul O'Grady, Review of Jesus and Philosophy, by Paul Moser (ed) , Search, 33, (2), 2010
Paul O'Grady, Review of A Fractured Relationship, by Thomas Norris , Studies, 96, (383), 2007
Paul O'Grady, Review of Rules, Magic and Instrumental Reason, by Berel Dev Lerner , Philosophy in Review, 24, (3), 2004
Paul O'Grady, Review of The Empirical Stance, by Bas Van Fraasen , Review of Metaphysics, 57, (4), 2004
Paul O'Grady, Review of Radical Orthodoxy: A New Theology, by J. Milback, C. Pickstock, G. Ward , Religious Studies, 36, (2), 2000
Paul O'Grady, Review of Wittgenstein and Quine, by H J Glock , International Journal of Philosophical Studies, 6, (1), 1998
Paul O'Grady, Review of George Berkeley: De Motu and the Analyst, by D.Jesseph , Berkeley Newsletter, 10, 1994
Paul O'Grady, Review of Gadamer and Hermeneutics, by Hugh Silverman , International Journal of Philosophical Studies, 1, (1), 1993
Paul O'Grady, Review of Language, Saussure and Wittgenstein, by Roy Harris , Philosophical Studies, 34, 1992
Paul OGrady, Review of The Philosophy of Eriugena, by Dermot Moran , Milltown Studies, 30, (1), 1991
Paul O'Grady, Review of The Metaphysics of the Tractatus, by Peter Carruthers , Philosophical Studies, 32, 1990
Research Expertise
Projects
- Title
- Wisdom and Virtue Epistemology
- Summary
- This is an investigation of the nature of wisdom. It draws on virtue theory, especially that of Aquinas and recent analytical virtue epistemology. It also explores the reasons why wisdom has largely disappeared as a topic of philosophical inquiry.
- Title
- Aquinas's Philosophy of Religion
- Summary
- This book is an investigation of Aquinas's main contributions to philosophy of religion, viewed from the stance of analytical philosophy. It provides the required contexts and conceptual framework to understand his work and explores in detail the issues of faith and reason, arguments for God's existence, objections to God's existence, God's nature and attributes.
- Date To
- 2014
- Title
- Cognitive Relativism
- Summary
- I am writing a number of papers dealing with relativism about truth, epistemlogical pluralism and epistemological relativism, including "Relativism about Truth" "Future Contingents and Relative Truth" "Faultless Disagreement about Taste"
Recognition
Representations
Assessor for Caixa Bank Postgraduate Fellowship Awards, Spain
Assessor for Portugese Govt PG Fellowships
Chair of QQI External Review, Dept of Philosophy, Maynooth 2021
Chair of Network for Studies in Buddhism
Academic Advisor Gestalt Institute of Ireland
External Examiner PhD Candidate University College Dublin, Ireland
External Examiner Queens University Belfast
External member of Academic Council, Priory Institute, Dublin.
Awards and Honours
Finalist Provost's Teaching Award
Fellow Trinity College Dublin
Honorary President of the Theological Society
D. Phil by Incorporation, Oxford University
American Philosophical Association Essay Prize
International Bertrand Russell Society Essay Prize
Memberships
Member Irish Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy