Everyday Philosophy George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four gave us many chilling ideas. One of the most influential is ‘thoughtcrime’. The idea of a regime so authoritarian that it would police the inside of your mind, always trying to catch out forbidden thoughts, is terrifying. Thoughtcrime elegantly describes both genuine North-Korea-style domination and more subtle forms…
Everyday Philosophy If philosophers are doing our job, we should be helping to make people’s thinking clearer. We should be cutting away guff and making concepts precise, so that discussions are more productive and it’s easier to find the truth. Today I want to do my bit in the war against confusion and propose…
Everyday Philosophy Last month I argued against utilitarianism, the school of moral philosophy that seeks ‘the greatest good for the greatest number’. Utilitarianism is false because following it consistently means endorsing the idea that it’s sometimes right to choose evil means to achieve good ends. Here, though, I want to say a word against…
Everyday Philosophy Peruse the Catechism of the Catholic Church or a collection of papal encyclicals from the last century or so and it won’t be long before you find a denunciation of utilitarianism, the philosophical position that’s often summed up as being about the pursuit of ‘the greatest good for the greatest number’. Utilitarianism…
Everyday Philosophy On discovering that I study philosophy, scientists (or people who think of themselves as having scientific leanings) often ask passive-aggressive questions about philosophy’s progress. “If science can tell us the age of the universe and give us a pretty good idea of how species evolved on earth, why can’t philosophy come up…
Everyday Philosophy Philosophy is having a bit of a moment in Ireland. It became a Junior Cert short course in 2016, and there are moves afoot to make it a Leaving Cert subject. The Philosophy Ireland organisation is running more workshops every year, in schools, workplaces and prisons. Our President made the promotion of…
Speaking the truth is an incredibly brave and inspiring act, writes Ben Conroy
Confession allows our sins not just to be made up for or moved past, but completely forgiven.
Youth Space
What are you giving up for Lent?” As small-talk conversation-fillers go, it’s sort of in the middle of the spectrum: you don’t ask someone you’ve just met, but it’s just socially acceptable enough to bother an acquaintance – provided their answer isn’t too awkward. “Sweets” is an acceptable answer. “Actually, I’m planning to get up…