#irishphilosophyotd — Public Fediverse posts

Legendary Irish King Brian Boru died #otd 1014 at the Battle of #Clontarf.

His death is pivotal in Geoffrey Keating (Seathrún Céitinn)’s Foras feasa ar Éirinn, a popular history both in Irish and English translation.
https://www.ria.ie/library/catalogues/special-collections/medieval-and-early-modern-manuscripts/foras-feasa-ar-eirinn

A history which worked to put both Old English and Gaelic Irish in a good light, it portrayed Ireland as ruled by the English king by consent, not through conquest.
https://www.irishphilosophy.com/2014/04/23/brian-boru/

#ForasFeasaArEirinn #IrishPhilosophyOTD

The day after the anniversary of Flann O'Brien's death in 1966, a post on Flann's satirical look at philosophy in The Third Policeman.

https://www.irishphilosophy.com/2014/04/01/de-selby-ireland/

#deSelby #TheThirdPoliceman #IrishPhilosophyOTD

George Berkeley, philosopher of the immaterial and bishop of Cloyne was born #otd 1685 in Dysart Castle #Kilkenny

A post on Berkeley's immaterialism and how it has been misunderstood

https://www.irishphilosophy.com/2016/03/12/berkeleys-immaterialism/

Including by a 19th century satire of immaterialism included among other satires of the Irish...
https://www.irishphilosophy.com/2013/04/11/berkeley-irish-archetype/

#IrishPhilosophyOTD #GeorgeBerkeley #immaterialism

John Toland (1670-1722); scholar, unofficial diplomat, pamphleteer and controversialist; died in Putney, London on this day in 1722.

#DIB - https://www.dib.ie/biography/toland-john-a8584

Incendiary: John Toland and the birth of the Irish Enlightenment - https://www.irishphilosophy.com/2013/09/18/incendiary-toland/

He is buried at Church of St. Mary the Virgin in Putney (the scene of the Putney Debates, 1647). https://www.johntoland.com/2019/03/john-toland-his-life-and-times.html?m=1
The tower of the church survives from that time (my photo)

#IrishPhilosophyOTD
#JohnToland

John P. Mahaffy, academic and Kantian was born #OTD in Vevey, Switzerland in 1839.

TCD lecturer and provost, tutor to Wilde, opponent of the Irish language, and member (and historian) of the School of Irish Kantians centered on Trinity College Dublin.

#DIB https://www.dib.ie/biography/mahaffy-sir-john-pentland-a5381

Irish Kantians: https://www.irishphilosophy.com/2015/03/26/irish-kantians-translation/

#IrishKantians #TCD #IrishPhilosophyOTD

Composer George Frideric Händel was born #OnThisDay 1685 in Halle.

Famously his "Messiah" was first performed in Dublin.

A post on its performance (where Swift almost scuppered the whole thing)
https://www.irishphilosophy.com/2013/04/13/swift-handels-messiah/

and on its anti-deist roots & the appeal of that in Ireland (anti-Toland) https://www.irishphilosophy.com/2018/04/13/words-messiah/

#Swift #JonathanSwift #JohnToland #Deism #GeorgeFridericHandel #IrishPhilosophyOTD

New post on the wonderful podcast by the Iris Murdoch Society on the day after (sorry) the 25th anniversary of Iris Murdoch's death #otd 1999

Remembering Iris: The Iris Murdoch Podcast
https://irishphilosophy.com/2024/02/08/remembering-iris-the-iris-murdoch-podcast/

#DIB: https://www.dib.ie/biography/murdoch-jean-iris-a6063

#IrishPhilosophyOTD #IrisMurdoch

George Stokes, physicist and mathematician; died in Cambridge #OTD in 1903.

#dib: https://www.dib.ie/biography/stokes-george-gabriel-a8329

"If Boole translated classical logic into algebra, while Rowan Hamilton used metaphysics as an inspiration for mathematics, Stokes took a third path. His mathematics was inspired by real life problems."

G. G. Stokes, his life, work and philosophy - http://irishphilosophy.com/2015/08/13/g-g-stokes/

#GGStokes #IrishPhilosophyOTD #STEM

James Ussher born #OTD 1581 in St Nicholas parish, Dublin.

Archbishop of Armagh, student of the early #Irish church, chronologer, scholar. Credited with prophecy. https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo/A64683.0001.001?view=toc

#DIB: https://www.dib.ie/biography/ussher-james-a8774

“Too Gentle a Soul”: James Ussher: https://www.irishphilosophy.com/2016/01/04/james-ussher/

#IrishPhilosophyOTD #JamesUssher

Maria Edgeworth, born #OTD 1768 at Black Bourton, Oxfordshire, England. Lived most of her life in Ireland, in Edgeworthstown, Co. Longford. Prolific author of novels and educational works under her own name.

#dib: https://www.dib.ie/biography/edgeworth-maria-a2882

"What Irish Enlightenment? The case of Maria Edgeworth"
https://oll.libertyfund.org/reading-room/2023-02-28-donway-irish-enlightenment-maria-edgeworth

“My accomplished friend”: the life and philosophy of Maria Edgeworth
https://www.irishphilosophy.com/2018/01/01/maria-edgeworth/

#IrishPhilosophyOTD #MariaEdgeworth

"Good sir, you mistake our purpose. We add nothing to the sum total of human cleverness and skill. Our function is otherwise." - Con Drury (who died #OTD 1976) defending the role of philosophy vis-a-vis science http://irishphilosophy.com/2015/07/03/saving-science/

#ConDrury #IrishPhilosophyOTD

Frances Power Cobbe; feminist, journalist, anti-vivisectionist & philanthropist; was born in Dublin #OTD 1822. Her childhood home was Newbridge House: https://newbridgehouseandfarm.com/frances-power-cobbe-a-fingal-daughter-of-feminism/

#DIB https://dib.ie/biography/cobbe-frances-power-a1777

Her pamphlet Wife-torture (1878) argued that physical abuse should be grounds for legal separation. It influenced the Matrimonial Causes Act. The other great cause of her life was campaigning against animal cruelty, founding the British Union Against Vivisection.

#IrishPhilosophyOTD #FPCobb

Katherine Jones, Lady Ranelagh, woman of letters & member of the Hartlib Circle, died at Pall Mall London #OTD in 1691.

DIB: https://www.dib.ie/biography/jones-lady-katherine-a4330

Newstalk podcast:
https://www.newstalk.com/podcasts/highlights-from-talking-history/katherine-jones-viscountess-ranelagh-life-science

The “Incomparable" Lady Ranelagh: https://www.irishphilosophy.com/2015/11/19/ranelagh/

#LadyRanelagh #IrishPhilosophyOTD #HistoryOfScience

Oscar Wilde died #OTD 1900 in Paris.

#dib: https://www.dib.ie/biography/wilde-oscar-fingal-oflahertie-a9036

Sailing to Utopia: Oscar Wilde on Altruism and Anarchism
https://www.irishphilosophy.com/2015/10/15/utopia-wilde/

#OscarWilde #Wilde #IrishPhilosophyOTD

Jonathan #Swift was born #OTD 1667 in the parish of St Werburgh's in Dublin.

#dib : https://dib.ie/biography/swift-jonathan-a8415

The quotable Swift – is that his only relevance today?

https://www.irishphilosophy.com/2017/11/30/swiftly-slowly/

#JonathanSwift #IrishPhilosophyOTD

John Toland, born in Inishowen, Donegal #otd 1670.

DIB: https://www.dib.ie/biography/toland-john-a8584

Derry Journal on Toland & Pantheism - https://www.derryjournal.com/heritage-and-retro/heritage/john-toland-sean-eoghain-of-the-books-the-inishowen-founder-of-western-pantheism-3938903

Incendiary: John Toland and the birth of the Irish Enlightenment - https://www.irishphilosophy.com/2013/09/18/incendiary-toland/

#JohnToland #pantheism #IrishPhilosophyOTD

Wolfe Tone died #otd 1798.

#dib: https://www.dib.ie/biography/tone-theobald-wolfe-a8590

Tone's plea for toleration of Catholics: the Argument on Behalf of the Catholics of Ireland

https://www.irishphilosophy.com/2013/06/20/wolfe-tone/

#toleration #WolfeTone #IrishPhilosophyOTD

George Bernard Shaw, playwright, activist, #Fabian, died #otd 1950 at Ayot St. Lawrence Hertfordshire.

#DIB: https://www.dib.ie/biography/shaw-george-bernard-a8004

The philosophy of George Bernard Shaw https://www.irishphilosophy.com/2017/07/26/three-act-comedy-gbs/

#IrishPhilosophyOTD #GBShaw

George Bernard Shaw, playwright, activist, #Fabian, died #otd 1950 at Ayot St. Lawrence Hertfordshire.

#DIB: https://www.dib.ie/biography/shaw-george-bernard-a8004

The philosophy of George Bernard Shaw https://www.irishphilosophy.com/2017/07/26/three-act-comedy-gbs/

#IrishPhilosophyOTD #GBShaw

George Bernard Shaw, playwright, activist, #Fabian, died #otd 1950 at Ayot St. Lawrence Hertfordshire.

#DIB: https://www.dib.ie/biography/shaw-george-bernard-a8004

The philosophy of George Bernard Shaw https://www.irishphilosophy.com/2017/07/26/three-act-comedy-gbs/

#IrishPhilosophyOTD #GBShaw

#GeorgeBoole (1815–64), mathematician, was born #OTD 1815 at Lincoln.

Largely self-taught, he became professor of #mathematics in the Royal College Cork (the forerunner of #UCC) and worked there there until his death.

DIB: https://www.dib.ie/biography/boole-george-a0780

His work which underlies computer programs was originally applied to test the validity of Spinoza's thought.

Ones and Zeros: the life and work of George Boole

https://www.irishphilosophy.com/2014/12/08/ones-and-zeros/

#IrishPhilosophyOTD #HistoryOfMaths #BooleanAlgebra

#GeorgeBoole (1815–64), mathematician, was born #OTD 1815 at Lincoln.

Largely self-taught, he became professor of #mathematics in the Royal College Cork (the forerunner of #UCC) and worked there there until his death.

DIB: https://www.dib.ie/biography/boole-george-a0780

His work which underlies computer programs was originally applied to test the validity of Spinoza's thought.

Ones and Zeros: the life and work of George Boole

https://www.irishphilosophy.com/2014/12/08/ones-and-zeros/

#IrishPhilosophyOTD #HistoryOfMaths #BooleanAlgebra

#GeorgeBoole (1815–64), mathematician, was born #OTD 1815 at Lincoln.

Largely self-taught, he became professor of #mathematics in the Royal College Cork (the forerunner of #UCC) and worked there there until his death.

DIB: https://www.dib.ie/biography/boole-george-a0780

His work which underlies computer programs was originally applied to test the validity of Spinoza's thought.

Ones and Zeros: the life and work of George Boole

https://www.irishphilosophy.com/2014/12/08/ones-and-zeros/

#IrishPhilosophyOTD #HistoryOfMaths #BooleanAlgebra

#GeorgeBoole (1815–64), mathematician, was born #OTD 1815 at Lincoln.

Largely self-taught, he became professor of #mathematics in the Royal College Cork (the forerunner of #UCC) and worked there there until his death.

DIB: https://www.dib.ie/biography/boole-george-a0780

His work which underlies computer programs was originally applied to test the validity of Spinoza's thought.

Ones and Zeros: the life and work of George Boole

https://www.irishphilosophy.com/2014/12/08/ones-and-zeros/

#IrishPhilosophyOTD #HistoryOfMaths #BooleanAlgebra

#GeorgeBoole (1815–64), mathematician, was born #OTD 1815 at Lincoln.

Largely self-taught, he became professor of #mathematics in the Royal College Cork (the forerunner of #UCC) and worked there there until his death.

DIB: https://www.dib.ie/biography/boole-george-a0780

His work which underlies computer programs was originally applied to test the validity of Spinoza's thought.

Ones and Zeros: the life and work of George Boole

https://www.irishphilosophy.com/2014/12/08/ones-and-zeros/

#IrishPhilosophyOTD #HistoryOfMaths #BooleanAlgebra

#HamiltonWalk #OTD 1843
"Nor could I resist the impulse – unphilosophical as it may have been – to cut with a knife on a stone of Brougham Bridge, as we passed it, the fundamental formula with the symbols, i, j, k; namely,
i2 = j2 = k2 = ijk = -1"

https://www.irishphilosophy.com/2019/10/16/the-discover-of-quaternions/

#HistoryOfMaths #IrishPhilosophyOTD

Feast of Adomnán of #Iona, died #OnThisDay 704AD on Iona. First biographer of Colmcille, creator of the Law of the Innocent https://www.dib.ie/biography/adomnan-a0032

Adomnán and the Law of the Innocent: https://www.irishphilosophy.com/2021/04/02/adomnan/

#Adomnán #Adomnan #IrishPhilosophyOTD

John Locke, "Father of Classical Liberalism”, was born in Wrington, Somerset #OTD 1632.

Friend and correspondent of William Molyneux. Publication of some of their letters made Locke more generally known in Ireland.

"Without Locke’s Essay there would hardly have been a Berkeley, Browne, Hutcheson, or Burke; at least, they could not have been the philosophers we know them to be" - David Berman.

John Locke in Ireland https://www.irishphilosophy.com/2013/08/29/locke-in-ireland/

#Locke #WilliamMolyneux #IrishPhilosophyOTD

It's #FrancisHutchesonDay

Francis Hutcheson, teacher in Dublin and lecturer in Glasgow University, "Father of the #ScottishEnlightenment " was born #OTD 1694 in Saintfield, Co. Down and died #OTD 1746 in Dublin.

A post on the Dublin Hutcheson knew.

https://www.irishphilosophy.com/2021/08/08/footsteps-of-hutcheson/

#FrancisHutcheson #IrishPhilosophyOTD

William Drennan (1754–1820), physician, patriot, and minor poet, was born #OTD 1754 at the manse of his father Thomas Drennan in Rosemary St., Belfast.

#DIB https://www.dib.ie/biography/drennan-william-a2765

Founder of the United Irishmen: "A benevolent conspiracy—A Plot for the People—No Whig Club—no party Title—The Brotherhood its name—the right of Man and the greatest happiness of the greatest numbers its End." https://www.irishphilosophy.com/2015/02/05/benevolent-conspiracy/

#IrishPhilosophyOTD #UnitedIrishmen

Philip Skelton (1707-87), religious writer, critic of Hume, a fast friend and a fast enemy who sold his library twice to raise money for famine relief, died in Dublin #otd in 1787.

#dib https://www.dib.ie/biography/skelton-philip-a8110

The eventful life of Philip Skelton, enemy of deism https://www.irishphilosophy.com/2015/05/04/philip-skelton/

The first critic of Hume's On miracles (whose criticisms Hume read for the printer, and said "print!") https://www.irishphilosophy.com/2018/04/26/debating-hume-on-miracles/

#hume #PhilipSkelton #deism #IrishPhilosophyOTD

#WilliamMolyneux, philosopher, born in Dublin #otd 1656. Creator of "Molyneux's problem", writer on natural and political philosophy.

#DIB https://www.dib.ie/biography/molyneux-molyneaux-william-a5878

Molyneux's "The Case of Ireland" https://www.irishphilosophy.com/2017/10/11/the-case-of-ireland/

#IrishPhilosophyOTD

#OliverGoldsmith died #OTD 1774. Novelist, poet, playwright. He lived by his pen, also writing philosophical essays, including on aesthetics (as debated by Berkeley, Hutcheson, Burke) https://www.irishphilosophy.com/2014/04/04/goldsmith-coda/

Wrote first bio of #GeorgeBerkeley including this wild story from college days https://www.irishphilosophy.com/2014/06/23/berkeley-strung-out/

Wrote an early elegy for a selection of friends, including #EdmundBurke https://www.irishphilosophy.com/2015/04/04/here-lies-edmund/

The original "Citizen of the World" https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-95900-9_3

#IrishPhilosophyOTD

#WilliamRobertScott died 3rd April 1940 in Glasgow..

Born in Omagh Co. Tyrone into a milling family, he studied in #TCD.

While there he wrote "A simple history of ancient philosophy" aimed at the general reader, and the only extant full biography of #FrancisHutcheson, coining the term "Scottish Enlightenment" and crediting Hutcheson as its father.

Moving to #GlasgowUni (as Hutcheson had before him) he became an expert in #AdamSmith & economics.

https://www.irishphilosophy.com/2015/08/31/william-robert-scott/

#IrishPhilosophyOTD

Thomas Kingsmill Abbott (1829-1913), Kantian scholar and critic of Berkeley's theory of vision. Born #otd in 1829.

#DIB bio: https://www.dib.ie/biography/abbott-thomas-kingsmill-a0005

Berkeley's theory of vision and Abbott's critique: https://www.irishphilosophy.com/2014/12/18/small-far-away/

#KingsmillAbbott #GeorgeBerkeley #IrishPhilosophyOTD

Thomas Kingsmill Abbott (1829-1913), Kantian scholar and critic of Berkeley's theory of vision. Born #otd in 1829.

#DIB bio: https://www.dib.ie/biography/abbott-thomas-kingsmill-a0005

Berkeley's theory of vision and Abbott's critique: https://www.irishphilosophy.com/2014/12/18/small-far-away/

#KingsmillAbbott #GeorgeBerkeley #IrishPhilosophyOTD

Thomas Kingsmill Abbott (1829-1913), Kantian scholar and critic of Berkeley's theory of vision. Born #otd in 1829.

#DIB bio: https://www.dib.ie/biography/abbott-thomas-kingsmill-a0005

Berkeley's theory of vision and Abbott's critique: https://www.irishphilosophy.com/2014/12/18/small-far-away/

#KingsmillAbbott #GeorgeBerkeley #IrishPhilosophyOTD

Thomas Kingsmill Abbott (1829-1913), Kantian scholar and critic of Berkeley's theory of vision. Born #otd in 1829.

#DIB bio: https://www.dib.ie/biography/abbott-thomas-kingsmill-a0005

Berkeley's theory of vision and Abbott's critique: https://www.irishphilosophy.com/2014/12/18/small-far-away/

#KingsmillAbbott #GeorgeBerkeley #IrishPhilosophyOTD

Thomas Kingsmill Abbott (1829-1913), Kantian scholar and critic of Berkeley's theory of vision. Born #otd in 1829.

#DIB bio: https://www.dib.ie/biography/abbott-thomas-kingsmill-a0005

Berkeley's theory of vision and Abbott's critique: https://www.irishphilosophy.com/2014/12/18/small-far-away/

#KingsmillAbbott #GeorgeBerkeley #IrishPhilosophyOTD

William Edward Hartpole Lecky, historian & philosopher, was born in Blackrock, Co. Dublin #otd in 1838.

#DIB bio: https://www.dib.ie/biography/lecky-william-edward-hartpole-a4749

Among Lecky's works are the History of the rise and influence of the spirit of rationalism in Europe (1865), and History of European morals from Augustus to Charlemange (1869).

Fun fact: the book on morals influenced #MarkTwain. https://www.jstor.org/stable/40400783

Here's Twain's annotated copy https://cdm16694.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p261501co1l12/id/1571

#IrishPhilosophyOTD #WEHLecky

Katherine Jones, Lady Ranelagh, member of the Hartlib Circle, was born on this day on 1615.

#dib bio: https://www.dib.ie/biography/jones-lady-katherine-a4330

#Podcast: The Almost Forgotten Story of Katherine Jones, Lady Ranelagh https://www.sciencehistory.org/distillations/podcast/the-almost-forgotten-story-of-katherine-jones-lady-ranelagh

#Blogpost: The Incomparable Lady Ranelagh https://www.irishphilosophy.com/2015/11/19/ranelagh/

#IrishPhilosophyOTD #LadyRanelagh

James Ussher died #OTD 1656.

How Ussher claimed Patrick and the early Irish Church for the Church of Ireland (as did everyone else for their beliefs, including the Deist John Toland).

Appropriating Patrick: Keating, Ussher, Toland and the Early Irish Church – https://www.irishphilosophy.com/2015/03/17/appropriating-patrick/

#Patrick #IrishPhilosophyOTD #JamesUssher #JohnToland

“I refute him thus!”: Misunderstanding Berkeley –
https://www.irishphilosophy.com/2016/03/12/berkeleys-immaterialism/

#IrishPhilosophyOTD #GeorgeBerkeley

15 Feb: #SophieBryant; mathematican, psychologist, educationalist and thinker; was born in Sandymount, Dublin on this day in 1850.

Sophie Bryant was one of the first two women to graduate from the University of London with a BSc degree in 1881 https://www.london.ac.uk/sophie-bryant

A "woman of many trades", "Mind" gave a selection of her papers as one of their women in philosophy https://academic.oup.com/mind/pages/sophie_bryant

#DIB Bio: https://www.dib.ie/biography/bryant-sophie-a1088

#IrishPhilosophy: https://www.irishphilosophy.com/2016/02/15/sophie-bryant/

#IrishPhilosophyOTD

5 Feb: #WilliamDrennan, physician, patriot and poet, died in Belfast, in 1820.

He was the first to call Ireland "the Emerald Isle" (in the poem "Erin"), the first president of the #UnitedIrishmen, the founder of the Belfast Academical Institution (‘Inst.’) in 1810.

#dib bio: https://www.dib.ie/biography/drennan-william-a2765

His aims in 1791 "A benevolent conspiracy—A Plot for the People [...] the right of Man and the greatest happiness of the greatest numbers its End."
https://www.irishphilosophy.com/2015/02/05/benevolent-conspiracy/

#IrishPhilosophyOTD